The Elusive Treasure
by Ozone Street Irregulars
Summary: Ch 22 up: A battle royale where the fate of the adventurers, and of the world...?, hangs in the balance. Oops! Could this be... ...the end? Muahahaha! Pls r&r.
1. A Call From History?

Disclaimer: Nothing that is copyrighted belongs to us. The fan characters presented belong to their creator.

The Elusive Treasure

Chapter One

A Call From History?

It was a very bright day in Ocean Shores. All of the people were busy, minding their own business. A certain group of extreme kids were surfing at the beach. Everything was just as usual, until something was washed on the beach by the waves.

Three boys and a girl were walking along the shoreline, carrying surfboards under their arms. They, the kids, were wet, sandy, and a little tired when they came upon the strange object. By all appearances, it was a small wooden box, about twenty by eight by five centmiters.

A hand reached down to pick it up. The hand that picked it up was pale and slightly tanned. The boy, who had blond hair and was wearing a pair of glasses with square-shaped lenses, examined the box carefully.

Decorating the box was a pattern. It seemed that various shapes covered the wooden container. The one symbol that appeared the most often was a crescent moon. There was a small rusted lock on the front, the boy tried pulling on it, but it didn't open. He looked up from the box to see that his friends hadn't stopped when he had.

"Hey wait up guys!" He shouted. He ran to catch up, still carrying the box.

"Whatcha got there Sammy?" A skinny girl with purple hair asked him.

"I dunno, Reg. I just saw this on the beach. Maybe it's an old Spanish jewelry box, or something like that!" said Sammy, very excited.

"It looks like a piece of trash to me, Squid!" said an auburn-haired boy with sunglasses, "Let's forget about it and go to the Shack. I really need some grub!"

"I'm with you, Ottoman!" said a tall, freckled boy.

"Sounds good to me!" agreed Sammy, though he continued to hang onto the box.

"Whatcha got there, Squid?" asked a tall freckled boy wearing a brown kangol.

Sam handed him the box. "As far as we know right now, Twist, it's an old wooden box. Maybe the Shack has some tools in the restaurant or the rental shop we can use to try to open it."

Twister studied the box intently, and suddenly began to smile broadly. Could this be the fabled _Cajon de la Esperanza_? The legend had spread far and wide over the decades. Battles had been fought over the right even to look for it; a lot of lead had flown and a lot of blood had been spilled, but "the box" did not decide to turn up until now.

The quartet continued on to the Shack. As they walked up the ramp, still dripping wet, Twister continued to study the box, confident that it was indeed the legendary _Cajon de la Esperanza_. He couldn't believe that he was holding a piece of history in his very hands. Who knew what could be inside this ancient container?

'_Maybe there are jewels and lots of gold inside!_' He thought gleefully. '_Maybe I can buy my own Whompmaster motorboard!_' His grin widened as they entered the restaurant. Nobody was in the shack at the moment.

'_Raymundo must be taking a break._' Otto thought. He went into the back of the restaurant, and came back a few moments later with a small screwdriver.

"Lemme see the box." He said to Twister. The taller boy handed him the box and Otto stuck the screwdriver into the keyhole, he wiggled it around a little and the lock clicked open.

"Funny how you know how to do that so well, Rocket Boy." Reggie joked.

"Yeah well I've had plenty of practice picking locks, like your bedroom and diary locks." He grinned.

Reggie shot him a dirty look and then returned her attention back to the box as Twister opened it. The four of them stared dumbfounded at the contents of the box. Contrary to what they thought (or hoped), the only contents of the box was what looked like an old glass vial.

"That's _it_? All this trouble for this piece of glass? This stinks on ice!" said Otto.

"Not so fast, O-man," said Reggie, "there's something inside the vial."

"Really? Let me see!" said Sam, taking the vial and opening it.

"It looks like...like...." said Twister - "like... a drawing"

The rest of the kids sweatdropped.

"It's not a drawing, Twist!!! It's a map!!!!"

It was a map indeed, and it appeared to have some relevance to the local geography of Ocean Shores, though with some marked differences. The area they knew as the Marina, for example, was a featureless marsh. There were some trails that roughly corresponded to the present courses of the California Incline and Highway 1, but there were some rivers visible that had no modern counterpart. Most of the area was open land, with an old Spanish mission in what was now Ocean Bluffs. The only other structure of note was a small fort, near the Secret Spot. But the most glaring anomaly was a large hill on the shoreline near a dense forest, with a large red Maltese cross on the up shore side of it.

"Wow! It's a treasure map!" Twister exclaimed.

"Gee, ya think?" Reggie muttered, crossing her arms.

"So I guess this piece of junk was worth something, after all." Otto commented, taking the vial from Sam.

"It looks we have a second chance at some treasure!" The one in the cap cheered.

"Hmmm..." Sam hummed, looking at the map. "It'll be hard to follow this. A lot of the landmarks have changed between the time this map was made and the present. Obviously, a lot of buildings were made right on some of these places, as well as other structures."

"So what?!" Otto shouted. "I say we go for it! We might even strike it rich!"

"Or it could be another dud." Reggie remarked, smirking at her brother, who narrowed his eyes at her.

"Come on! If we get this treasure, we'll be beyond rich!" The younger Rocket said, already getting dollar signs in his eyes.

"I'm right behind ya, bro!" Twister added.

"Come on! I think Raymundo has some old shovels we can use!"

And with that, Otto ran out of the Shack, followed by Twister. Reggie sighed and turned to Sam with an exasperated look.

"Guess we're going treasure hunting."

"Yep." Sam nodded.

And they ran after the two best friends. Reggie and Sam soon convinced the very anxious Otto and Twister to slow down and organize things a little bit.

"Okay how are we supposed to find this place?" Twister asked, looking at the map.

"Well, we just go to where that red cross is." Sam pointed on the map, "If this here is Ocean Bluffs, and this fort is the secret spot, then the hill would be Mondo Mountain."

"That's so far away." Twister whined.

"But think of the treasure!" Otto said, "Let's go!"

The four of them took off on their bikes towards the mountain. They arrived there about twenty minutes later.

"Now what?" Twister asked.

"Well," Sam took out the map and looked at it again, he looked around at his surroundings, "I think the cross is right here," he pointed to his left.

"Alright, let's start digging!" Otto said, shovel already in hand.

An hour later…

"Man, I'm tired of this!" Otto said throwing his shovel down, "There probably isn't even anything here!"

Just as he said that, Reggie felt her shovel hit something.

"Hey guys, I think I've got something here."

Twister reached down into the fairly deep hole, he picked up a box similar in size and design as the first and smiled.

"Look guys!" He took the screwdriver Otto had brought and opened it in the same fashion Otto had. "It's empty…" He said looking inside.

"Are you serious?! I wasted a whole hour of my life looking for nothing!" Otto said.

"Wait...what's this?" Reggie pulled a little string hanging from the inside of the box. The top part fell down, revealing a secret compartment, with another glass vile.

"Open it, open it!" Otto cheered. Sam took the vile and removed the paper.

Another map.

"Hey, that's not fair! Where's my treasure???" asked Otto, quite disappointed.

"Hum... It can't be..." said Sam. (Nobody listens to him)

"Seriously, Otto, I told you this could be a dud. We lost most of the morning looking for a nonexistent treasure!!" said Reggie, quite upset.

"Apparently this marks another site near the beach..." - continued Sam (still unheard).

"Hey, Reg! How was I supposed to know this was to be a fiasco?? It looked genuine!!!" - whined Otto.

"This shore looks very familiar..." continued Sam, unaware that the other three kids were arguing.

"Yeah, Reggie! Besides, you and Squid opened the vial..." said Twister.

"Hum...this inlet here......" added Sam.

"ME?!?! It was you who came up with the legend, Twist! Who's ever heard of a 'caja de la Esperanza,' anyway?" said Reggie.

"It's _'Cajon de la Esperanza,'_ Reggie!"

"Yeah, whatever... Who has ever heard of that before?"

"HEY, it's an old Mexican legend!"

"Yeah, right. As old as your memory, Twist." added Otto. The three kids were about to fight.

"Err...guys..." said Sam, shyly.

"I'll teach you a new legend, Twist!" said Reggie, narrowing her eyes.

"Guys..." said Sam.

"Oh, yeah? I'd like to see that, _Regina_," mocked Twister.

"Guys..."

"Hey, watch your mouth, _Mauricio!_ You're talking to my _sister_!"

"GUYS!!!!!!"

_"Whaaaaaat?!?!?"_ - said the three kids, turning to Sam. Squid sweatdropped and chuckled nervously, when he saw the angry faces of his friends.

"Errr.... I... just...deciphered the map..... I... know where the.... X is....."

"Oh, yeah? You better spill, Squid! I don't have all the day!" Otto shouted.

"Yeah, what Otto said. Where is it, Squid?" Twisted added.

"Right under the Shore Shack!" Sam answered.


	2. Enter the Lasers

The Elusive Treasure

Chapter Two

Enter the Lasers

The foursome were understandably tired and hungry from all the travel and work they had done that day, and decided to relax and discuss further developments over a meal. Reggie was becoming ever more skeptical.

"Who knows how many more steps might lie on this wild goose chase? Whatever's down there has lain undisturbed for over two hundred years, and this being a sand beach, I'm sure those who buried it knew what they were doing." The three boys nodded in quiet agreement.

"I'm sure another twenty-four hours won't matter too much," Twister added. "We'll have to observe absolute secrecy on this project. Uh, Otto, mind if I crash at your place tonight?"

"No problem at all, Twist," replied Otto.

Although the Rodriguez brothers were getting along better than earlier these days, Clio was visiting, and it was best that as few as possible knew about their plan.

The quartet entered the Shack. Unlike earlier today, Ray and Tito were inside, ready to take orders. The kids walked up to the counter.

"Aloha, little cuzzes." Tito greeted as they sat at the counter.

"Hey Tito." They chorused.

"Can we get the usual?" Otto asked.

"Of course. Coming right up." The chef replied as he went to work.

Ray blinked when he noticed the map in Sam's hands. "What's that you got there, Sammy?"

"Huh?" The blond asked, looking up. "Oh, sorry Raymundo. This is a map we found at the beach. It washed up on shore."

Ray raised an eyebrow. "A map?"

"Yeah! A treasure map!" Twister exclaimed. "We're gonna get the treasure and be rich!"

_"TWISTER!"_ The rest of the group shouted, looking around cautiously. Luckily, the place was deserted. They sighed with relief.

The two adults raised an eyebrow at them.

"Okay..."

"Heh, heh..." The kids chuckled nervously as they relaxed.

"Sorry about that, Dad. We gotta be careful, ya know?" Otto said with a shrug.

"Can't let _anybody_ know about our treasure." Twister added.

"What about us?" Ray asked with a smirk.

"Aren't you afraid we'll go for this treasure?" Tito supplied with his own smirk.

"Well, you see..." Reggie started. "That's the thing. You guys sorta need to know about this."

Again, the adults raised their eyebrows.

"Okay..." Ray said, warily. "Why?"

The group looked at each other with unsure glances before turning back to the adults.

"Well, the treasure," Otto began with a gulp, "is buried under the Shack."

Ray started laughing. "You kids are crazy if you think I'm going to let you destroy my restaurant looking for some treasure."

"Oh c'mon dad, if we _do_ find a treasure then you'll be able to fix any damages we make and then some!" Otto pleaded.

Ray thought for a couple minutes. "Well, I guess it'll be alright. On one condition, it comes out of your allowances."

Otto and Reggie looked at each other, and then back at Ray. "Hey you guys said yourself, if you find the treasure, you'll have plenty of money anyway."

Otto and Reggie looked at each other again, silently agreeing to giving up part of their weekly allowance to pay for their treasure hunt.

"Okay." Reggie said. The boys cheered.

Later, that night...

Reggie was reading her Zine, lying on her bed, when Otto entered her room. It was late, but neither of them could sleep. Otto went by Reggie's bed and sat silently.

"What's eating you, Rocket Boy?" The older one asked.

"Reg, what if we don't find anything there? We won't have any money for ages, until we pay for the repairs!"

"I know. It's a risk." She sighed. "But so far, everything we've seen on that map has proved to be true; I mean all the landmarks are there: the beach, the inlet, the small bay where the marina is now there's even the low marshes where they built the sea park. So, it is definitely the shore.

"Yeah, but what if we don't find anything?" said Otto.

"Don't worry. Besides, if Sam is right, we might not need to make too much damage to the shack."

"Huh?" Otto raised a confused eyebrow.

"Sam has been analyzing the map, and according to him, the treasure, or whatever we are looking for, is buried right under the floor of the freezer. So, it would be a matter of removing a couple of square meters of concrete and dig until we reach the sand."

"Ugh! I hate digging!" moaned Otto.

"Well, we can always forget about all this, Otto. I'm sure Dad would be happy to hear that." Reggie smirked.

"No.... I won't leave my treasure there. I'll take that shovel and dig, until I find the treasure or reach China!" said Otto, his usual determination back.

"That's my lil bro!" Reg teased him, giving him a light pinch on his cheek.

"Hey!"

"We'd better go back to sleep, Otto. Tomorrow will be a very long day, and we'd better rest."

"Yeah. It will be funny spending our Sunday wrecking the Shack. Sleep well, sis!"

Otto left the room, closing the door behind him. Reggie sighed, and fell back to her bed.

'_Whatever you say, Otto._' she thought.

----------------

Sammy was already at the beach bright and early the next day with a GPS monitor, a compass, and a tripod telescope, double-checking the measurements he'd derived. The pier, he knew, did not exist in the late eighteenth century, and he was somewhat relieved to find that his prediction had been off by a couple of meters. He'd brought with him a very strong army-surplus magnetometer that could pick up a dime under two meters of solid rock, so, if anything of interest was here, he'd be sure to find it.

He rested against the wall of the Shack's lower level, adjusted his gloves, picked a spot within the quadrangle he'd coned off, and began to dig. By the time the sun had crept over the eastern hills, he had already dug a hole deep enough to conceal him. He reached for the magnetometer, and carefully scanned the sand that surrounded him. A hit! And a fairly strong one at that. Twister, Otto, and Reggie heard their friend laugh with giddy ecstasy as they arrived.

"I think we're on to something. Over here." he bubbled as the others adjusted their gloves and took up shovels as they began to hack away at the sand.

The day dragged on as the group dug. The hot California sun beamed down upon them. Sweat dripped down their faces as they scooped the grainy material out of the hole, which became deeper and deeper as they toiled. As they continued their pursuit of riches, thoughts entered the kids' minds.

'_Ugh! How much longer do we have dig!?!_' Reggie grunted.

'_Come on, come on! I want that money!_' Otto seethed.

Minutes seemed like hours as they burrowed deeper into the earth

'_Whew! Maybe we should've packed something to eat, or at least drink!_' Sam wiped his forehead.

'_I hope we find something this time. My arms are killing me!_' Twister whined.

Finally, just as the sky started turning purple and the sun sank low, they hit something.

Reggie lifted the box out with her shovel. She picked the small lock and opened it up. No vial this time, just a folded up piece of notebook paper. Reggie unfolded it, the boys looked over her shoulder to read what it said.

_Haha lame-o's! It looks like your too late! _

The four stood in silence for a moment, then Twister took the paper out of Reggie's hand to take a closer look.

"You know...this looks a lot like Lars' writing...."

"Not to mention he misspelled 'you're.'" Sam commented.

"Lars..." Otto scowled.

Meanwhile…

Lars, Pi, Sputz, and Animal were on the other side of town, carrying a map.

"Dude, how did you find this?" Pi asked.

"I heard Rocket Dork telling his dad about it, and well, let's just say I have my ways...."

Lars and his cronies were walking slowly up the California Incline. The map indicated that the next clue was buried somewhere on the old forest the teens knew as "Lars' Mountain"

Lars was puffing heavily. Even though he had stopped smoking after the humiliation he received during their last hockey game with the kids, it was still kind of hard for him to keep his breath under certain conditions.

"Phew… I told you to bring your rice burner, Pi!!" -moaned Lars - "How much longer before we get there?"

"Just a couple hundred meters, boss. Then we'll take the bus to the forest. I'm sure we won't have any trouble finding that treasure!"

"Would you shattap, you moron? We don't want to be caught, or we'll have to share this treasure!" said Lars angrily.

The bus pulled by the sidewalk and the four teens hopped in. They didn't notice the small, frail-looking kid who was standing behind them.

'_Treasure???_' - thought Roderick '_What are those guys up to now?_'

Roderick shrugged, unable to answer his own question, and continued walking downhill. He was planning to go to the Shack, get a hula-burger, and then try his luck in Mad Town. He was hoping to meet Otto and the guys there. He headed for the counter and sat on one of the stools. Raymundo turned to serve him.

"How are you today, Roderick?" asked Ray.

"Quite well, thank you," Rod answered. "Tell me, Mr. Rocket, have you seen Otto or Reggie today? Nobody answered at your house when I rang, and the other place they're likely to be at would be Mad Town. By the way, I think I'm up to a regular size Hula Burger today...medium well, no sauce. A la carte, with a large Diet Pepsi."

Raymundo couldn't help grinning. The boy's improving appetite was a definite good sign; it wasn't that long ago that he'd order a junior cheeseburger with nothing.

"Well," answered Ray, "the kids are downstairs on the sand, involved in...some sort of special project."

That only piqued the kid's interest further, given the idle comments made by the Lasers as he observed them quietly taking a trip somewhere.

Rod made a mental note to check up on the Ozone Street Irregulars after his skate session. He had read an article Otto had written in the last issue of the Zine about a new beginner-level trick he wanted to try. Well, if Otto called it beginner-level, it was probably advanced, but still he wanted to take a crack at it. He was lost in a fuel. TV sport video on the TV set while he waited for his burger.


	3. Yet Another Clue

The Elusive Treasure

Chapter Three

Yet Another Clue

Meanwhile, at the beach...

"No _way!_ You mean _Lars_ beat us here!?!" Otto demanded as the group climbed out of the hole. "How did he even _know_ about the treasure!?!"

"I have _no clue_, bro!" Twister replied, just as baffled. "I was sleeping over at your place last night, so he _couldn't _have gotten to _me!_"

"Well, I _know_ Lars didn't try anything with me." Reggie said. "I didn't even see him."

"Then how could he have known about the treasure?" Otto asked.

The trio tried to think of something. A few moments passed before a question arose.

"Hey, who had the map last, anyway?" The shorter redhead asked.

"I didn't." Twister answered. The best bros looked at Reggie, who glowered at them.

"Don't look at me! I didn't have the map!"

"Then who _did,_ Reg?!" Otto shouted.

They blinked before turning to Sam, who was dusting himself off.

"Squid!" they all said. The blond looked up with a confused expression. It was clear that he wasn't paying attention to the others.

"Yes?" He shrank back when he noticed the intense glares the two Rockets and Twister were sending him. He sweatdropped and gulped.

"What happened to the map?" Otto started as nicely as possible. Sam gulped again.

The blond stuttered to think. He knew that if he said the wrong thing, he would be in _very_ big trouble. But there was nothing he could say, except the truth, and it was apparent that both redheads and the girl did _not_ want to hear the truth. Gulping one last time, the blond took in a sharp breath.

"Alright! I _confess!_" He cried, getting on his knees. "Last night, I was doing some research on the treasure and somehow, Lars must've overheard me doing my calculations. When I woke up this morning, I noticed that the map was missing! Panicking, I ran down to the beach with my equipment! But as it seems, we were too late... He must've dug here last night, found the treasure or whatever was inside, and reburied it so that he could trick us! I'm sorry! I had no clue!"

"Squid..." Otto advanced on him with his hands poised to strangle him. "I'm gonna..."

"Chill, Otto!" Reggie yelled, stepping in-between them. "It was an _honest mistake!"_

"Well, his mistake _cost us the treasure_!" Otto shouted.

"Yeah!" Twister supplied.

"Look! There's nothing we can do about it!" Reggie shouted, trying to maintain order. "Let's just go to the Shack and try to think about what to do."

Otto and Twister sent one final glare at Sam before sighing. They nodded in agreement and started walking towards the Shack. Reggie helped Sam up and they followed the other half of the group. They soon entered the establishment and walked up to the counter.

"Well, there are the little treasure hunters!" Tito exclaimed. Ray and Rod turned to the dirty crew. "So how'd it go?"

Otto and Twister sent the brunet a glare as they, Reggie, and Sam sat in the remaining stools.

"How did it go!?" The auburn haired skater roared. "We came out empty handed!"

"Uhhh... Otto..." Twister said as he noticed Rod. "You might wanna..."

"I mean, we wasted our time!" Otto continued, ignoring his best bro. "We spent ALL day digging..."

"Ottoman..." Sam tried. Again, Otto ignored him.

"And then we find the stinkin' treasure chest!"

_"Otto!"_ Reggie shouted. She was..._you know._

"And then all we find is this _stupid_ _note!_" He waved Lars' letter. "That says Lars already beat us to the treasure!"

"Actually, he didn't." Otto's head snapped towards Rod, who had spoke up.

"H-He didn't?" He asked with wide eyes. He looked at Twister and the others, who gave him a look that just _screamed_ "We tried to tell ya!"

"Nope." Rod answered, ignoring the looks group gave Otto. "I overheard Lars and his group talking on the way over here. They were heading to the forest."

"The _forest!?!_" The quartet shouted. Rod answered with another nod.

"We gotta get moving!" Otto yelled, leaping out of his seat. "Thanks a lot, Rod!" He added before dashing out. The others got off their seat and started running in place.

"Yeah! Thanks!" Twister said before running after Otto.

"We totally owe ya one!" Reggie added before following.

"See ya later!" Sam shouted, getting ready to leave.

"Hey wait!" Rod said, making the blond stop and turn to him. "I want to come to. I just gotta see this treasure!"

Sam held a hand to his chin before nodding.

"Why not? It's probably a wild goose chase, but if Lars is going after it, one more person on our side couldn't hurt. C'mon."

The boy grinned as he got off his seat. "Great!" He then turned to Ray and Tito. "Heh, guess I won't be needing that hula burger just yet, after all."

"No prob, little cuz." Tito said. "Have fun!"

"And be careful!" Ray added. The two boys nodded before leaving to catch up to everybody.

Meanwhile, near the exit to the pier...

Two boys were rolling along the pier. Judging by their attire, they were heading towards Mad Town. The taller of the two was wearing a violet helmet that had plastic bat wings on the sides, as well as pads and a pair of roller blades. The shorter of the two was riding a skateboard. He was wearing a green helmet that had a green turtle's shell pictured on it, as well as pads. They both seemed to be in a heated conversation.

"I'm telling ya, the last one is on the moon!" The taller one said.

"You're lying! How would he get there!?" The shorter one argued.

"Look," The taller boy said, glaring at his companion. "I went down to the blasted door, held up the stinkin' map, watched those special effects for the seventh time, and saw the thing appear on the moon. It's there!"

"Yeah right! You're trying to tell me you went to the Thousand-year Door, held up the map, saw those effects, and the last crystal star appeared where the MOON was?! I don't buy it."

"Iggy, Iggy, Iggy!" The taller one started, losing his patience. "You want me to go home and show you?! If I say the last one's there, then it's there!"

"Izzy, it can't be there! How would Mario survive!?"

"You think _I'd_ know!? It's a _game_! The plumber's made of paper! What would be so unrealistic about it?!"

Iggy stopped and glared at him.

"There's a limit on even video games, bro!"

"Look, _little_ bro," Izzy started, emphasizing little. "You're really starting--"

"Hey! What's that?" Iggy pointed ahead of them.

"Huh?" Izzy looked at where he was pointing and felt his eyes go wide.

A massive dust cloud was heading towards them and fast! They didn't even have enough time to get out of the way. The siblings were knocked over by the force of whatever caused the cloud. Izzy screamed as he was spun around on his skates. Iggy stumbled around dizzily and stepped on his board causing it to smack his older brother right in the face. They both collapsed on the ground and groaned.

"Hey!" Reggie shouted, grabbing both Twister and Otto by the backs of their shirts. "We gotta go back there!"

"But the treasure!" Otto whined, struggling against her sister's strong grip.

"_NOW!!!_" she roared. The two went blue in the face and let her drag them back to the brothers.

"Somebody get the number of that truck?" Izzy said. His and Iggy's eyes were two swirls.

"Truck? I thought it was a stampede!" Iggy said as the group walked up to them.

"Are you guys alright?" Rod asked as Otto and Twister helped them up.

"Ugh..." Izzy groaned as his eyes returned to normal. "I've been better..." When he noticed the group, he immediately glared at them. "Hey! What's the big idea running us over like that!?"

"Yeah!" Iggy supplied. "When was it against the law to skate!?"

"Sorry about that." Reggie apologized, rubbing the back of her head. "We were just in a hurry."

"Reg, they're fine! Can we go!?" Otto shouted, running in place.

"What are you guys in such a hurry for?" Izzy asked, sneering at the group, particularly at a certain blond.

"We're hunting for treasure!" Twister shouted. "We gotta beat Lars to the forest!"

_"TWISTER!!!"_ Everybody but the brothers and Rod roared. The trio blinked at them.

"Sorry. It _WAS_ supposed to be a secret!" Reggie said, glaring at Twister, who chuckled nervously.

"Treasure?" Iggy said. The brothers turned to each other.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" They both fell to the ground as they pointed and laughed at them.

"Hey! What's so funny!?" Sam shouted at his rival. Izzy was the first to stop laughing as he stood up.

"Treasure? Please!" He scoffed, crossing his arms. "Don't tell me you believe in the _tooth fairy_ too!"

"Believe what you want! All I know is that we gotta beat Lars there, and NOW!" Otto yelled, running off.

"Wait up!" Twister shouted, dashing after him.

"Otto..." Reggie growled. "Wait for us!" She shouted as she, Sam, and Rod ran after them.

'_Hmmmm__… A treasure?_' Izzy thought, stroking his chin. '_This could be interesting…_' He turned to his brother, who was still laughing and sweatdropped.

"Hey! Get up already!" He yelled, kicking his brother.

"_Yeow!_" Iggy yelped as he got up. "What was that for?!" He glared at Izzy, who only smirked in response.

"We're going on a treasure hunt."

"Huh? But I thought it wasn't _real!"_

"It's _gotta_ be real if everybody's going after it! And we're gonna get it first!" Izzy replied, rubbing his hands greedily. "Just imagine all the games we could get with all that gold."

"But they're _ahead_ of us." Iggy said. "How are we gonna catch up?"

"Simple. We won't."

_"Wha?"_ Iggy raised an eyebrow. Izzy gave him another devilish smirk.

"We'll follow them, and then when they reach the treasure, _we'll grab it_ _right under their noses!_" He chuckled evilly.

"Cool!" The younger brother shouted eagerly.

"Let's move!" Izzy yelled, skating out of the pier. His brother followed on his board.

And with that, the hunt was on.


	4. The Lopezes Get Into The Act

The Elusive Treasure

Chapter Three

The Lopezes Get Into The Act

"Umm... Guys...exactly where are we running to?" Reggie asked.

"The forest! Duh!" Twister answered.

"I know, but which forest, and which part of that forest? And couldn't there be a faster way there?"

"You know she's got a point," Sam started, "Rod where were you exactly when you saw them?"

"Getting on a bus on the California Incline," he said as a bus pulled up besides them, stopping at the bus stop just on the corner. The five of them boarded the bus

The bus went up the California Incline and turned left on Lincoln Boulevard. Soon it was headed to the old Buena Vista forest, very near Roderick's home.

"Heh. I didn't think I'd be here before sunset!" - chuckled Rod when the bus passed outside the Vandenack Motor Works.

"Hum... If my calculations are correct... they might have gotten off near here, guys" - said Sam. "I think they exited the bus here, guys!" He pulled the bell and asked the driver to stop.

"Why? How can you be so sure, Sam??" - asked Otto, confused.

"Oh, just a hunch" - shrugged Sam as the kids crossed the street and entered the forest.

Later…

"Hey, how much longer until we get there?" Otto complained as the group continued throughout the forest.

"Yeah, getting footage of trees is boooooooring!" Twister concurred, putting his camera back down to his side.

"We'll get there when we get there!" sighed Reggie in exasperation, growing slightly annoyed of the two anxious boys.

"Hey, we're on an adventure, guys and the best part about an adventure is the journey to our destination," Roderick told the two earnestly with a smile. "Besides," he picked up his pace, "this is fun."

"Yo, Squid, are we there yet?" Otto shouted, not really taking in Roderick had just told him.

"Almost, O-man," Sam muttered.

'_Thank goodness,_' Reggie thought in relief.

Within a few moments, the small group had finally reached their destination. Sammy took out his GPS and his spyglass and compass. There was a definite pattern to these clues, and he'd just begun to notice it. Off some distance away, the gang could make out the sound of Lars Rodriguez screaming a foul oath. Otto quietly took up the scope, and watched the Lasers skulk off back to civilization, empty handed.

"The coast is clear, guys!" he whispered. "Let's get to work!"

Sammy took up the magnetometer and methodically scanned the ground. As he came around the side of a tree, the sensor went hot, then went psycho as it reported a large dense object close under the ground. Sammy motioned for Twister to hand him the shovel.

"This could be it, people!" he beamed as he dug into the dirt. The others likewise joined in.

Soon, Reggie's shovel hit something.

"Oh...mah...gawd!" she exclaimed, suddenly freezing up with awe.

Quickly, Roderick came along with a broom and swept at the exposed wood. There was ornate metalwork on the surface, and they hadn't nearly exposed the whole top of the thing yet.

"How big is this thing?" asked Twister.

"We'll soon find out," Roderick replied, as he kept sweeping away the dirt. Eventually the whole surface of the thing was exposed, about sixty by one hundred twenty centimeters.

Suddenly they heard an automobile approaching. It was actually a small truck, and in it were the fivesome's friends Scotty Sanchez and Louie Crumpacker, who had been down in the canyon exploring a cave.

"How ya doin' guys?" greeted the duo and the fivesome almost simultaneously.

"We've been on a quest... from history," Twister introduced, making a sweeping gesture with a hand on his tummy and another outstretched.

"It seems that fortune has put us on the trail of..._el Cajón__ de la Esperanza_," Otto explained.

"And something this substantial would seem to qualify," continued Sam. "This thing probably weighs well over a hundred kilos. I think it's gotta be the real McCoy because this ground was undisturbed when we got here."

"No problem at all to help," offered Lou as he and Scott exited the truck, shovels in hand."

All seven people had the box clear of its surrounding dirt within a few minutes. It turned out to be about ninety centimeters deep. A definite _cajón_.

"I think it'd be best to try to open it up here," suggested Scott. "Who knows what--or how much--stuff could be inside?"

Lou was on it, bringing a large pry-bar out of his truck. The ancient lock crumbled from the pressure. All present stepped down into the hole and grabbed a part of the lid. Rod flipped down the little part of the latch that was all that might hold the box closed. Then everybody gave a mighty shove. The box opened and the faces of all who beheld its contents were bathed in a magical golden light!

"Ooh!" Reggie was dumbstruck.

"Oh, my..." Otto was speechless.

"Are you sure what we're seeing is real?" Twister was beside himself with curious awe.

"I knew if it was real, it had to be somewhere..." Sammy was amazed.

"As real as the hair on my head, ...ehh, 's much as I got" replied Roderick

"That is one heck of a lot of wealth, guys!" exclaimed Lou.

"Holy moly!" exclaimed Scotty, absolutely amazed.

"This haul has gotta be easily worth seven--no, probably eight figures," Sam calculated.

Inside the top of the box was a note. Twister translated carefully the ancient calligraphy: "This needed to be found. But only when the time was right, and then by those whose hearts are true."

Lou tied a stout rope around the box, and carefully dragged it up out of the ground with his truck. Twister then took pictures of everyone as they posed with crowns or medallions. Carefully, and with great effort, the seven loaded the box into the back of the truck.

"Where would you guys like to go?" asked Scott. "The museum? The _Times_? Channel Three?"

"Well," Otto said, scratching his head, "the first place we should go with this is the Shore Shack."

So, off they went, Otto riding shotgun with Scotty and Lou, and the other four sitting in the back. It was a slow trip, because the box was very heavy. But, they arrived at the Shore Shack in good order, pulling in right under the portico during a slow period. Tito and Ray approached the entourage with great curiosity.

And so... The Ozone Street Irregulars lived happily with their riches. Rod, Scott, and Lou also basked in the glory of their catch. Meanwhile, Lars, his crew, and the Lopez Brothers came out of the whole ordeal with nothing.

**The En**...

Ohhhh... You like us to end it off, wouldn't you? But I'm sorry. I'm afraid our tale doesn't quite end there. For you see, things went slightly _differently_ back in the forest.

In the forest, a golden glow _did_ radiate from the rather large chest. However, its contents were quite different. The seven children gaped at the chest as the mystical light faded.

"I...I don't believe it..." Reggie said, dumbfounded.

"How can this _be_...?" Sam added, eyes wide in confusion.

"Ugh! _This stinks on ice!!!_" Otto roared.

"What's the deal!?!" Twister supplied.

"This is one strange treasure..." Rod added silently. Scott and Lou were silent as they watched the others ponder over their latest loss.

Otto's fists were clenched as he studied the objects lying within. He scrunched his eyes shut as he prepared to let it all out.

"I...I..." His cheeks flared in rage as he took a deep breath.

Meanwhile…

"Ugh... My legs are killing me..." Izzy groaned.

He and his brother were climbing up the California Incline. They were using their roller blades and skateboard to travel up the steep hill.

"No kidding." Iggy moaned, kicking the hill again and gaining another couple of inches.

"I'd give anything to have Shadow's speed right now..."

"Or maybe his skates..." Iggy sighed dreamily.

"Yeah..." The brothers said. They then blinked and looked up. "Yeah! How about it?!"

(Prince Izzy: Sorry boys. For once ya gotta be normal kids.)_  
_  
"Aw come on!" Izzy moaned.

"Please Dad!" Iggy added.

(Prince Izzy: Uh-uh. Now continue! I don't wanna waste my turn arguing with you two!)

Izzy grumbled as he continued using his skates to climb up the hill followed by Iggy.

"Oh sure... He gives Sam and them air skates, but _we're_ stuck with nothing!" The elder brother muttered.

"No kidding..." Iggy sighed, fighting the forces of gravity again. "Hey..." The younger brunet said suddenly. "Why on earth are we going up the Incline for, anyway?"

"Duh!" The older one shouted. "I saw that blond idiot and those other four get into that bus."

"No. I mean, why are we using our gear to go up?" Iggy asked, having given up using the board and walking.

"Well..." Izzy started, rubbing the back of his head. "I forgot that the buses don't run after sunset. Those guys must've managed to grab the last one." He grumbled. "And if we waited for a taxi, there's no way we would've gotten to the treasure in time."

"Oy..." Iggy slapped his head as he watched his brother struggle to catch up. Wearing roller blades meant having to keep moving. Otherwise, you'd drop down the hill.

"Whew..." His sibling sighed as he caught up and resumed a normal pace again.

Nothing more was said between the pair of brunets as they continued their trek. They soon reached the top and walked/skated towards where the entrance to the forest.

"Huff... Iggy... Let's take...a...break..." Izzy panted, bending over.

"Why brother, I thought you wanted to get the treasure before them." Iggy said, giving him a smirk. Izzy looked up with a glare.

"If I wasn't...so tired...you'd get...such a...beating..." He breathed, wiping some sweat off his head.

Iggy only grinned in response.

"_Ugh!_ _I can't believe it!_"

The brothers blinked and turned towards the forest entrance. Lars and his crew were coming out of it, looking hopping mad. The leader was the one who delivered that scream. The quartet was moving towards the brothers! Izzy automatically forgot his fatigue as he stood at attention.

"Iggy!" He started, turning the boy in question towards him. "We can't let 'em know that we're onto 'em!"

"I know!" The shorter boy said, nodding frightfully. "What'll we do?!"

"Just play it cool! Follow my lead." The older brother replied, clearing his throat. "Uhhh yeah Iggy! I told you that that's how you get that last magic whistle!"

"Wha?" Iggy said, raising an eyebrow. He cringed when Izzy shook his fist menacingly. He gulped and scrambled to think of something. "Oh yeah...! You mean break that rock in Desert Hill and beat the Boomerang Brother, right?"

"Right." He nodded as Lars and his crew came closer. He blinked as he realized something. "Boomerang Brother?! Ya idiot! You don't fight a Boomerang Brother for that whistle!"

"What!?" Iggy shouted back. "_Of course_ ya do!"

"No ya don't, ya dunce!" Izzy snapped, forgetting about the group of punks. "Ya fight a _Fire_ Brother!"

"Fire Brother? No way!" The younger sibling shouted, shaking his fist. "It's a Boomerang Brother!"

"Fire Brother!"

"Boomerang Brother!"

"Fire!" Izzy spat.

"Boomerang!" Iggy roared.

"Fire!"

"Boomerang!"

_"Fire!" _

_"Boomerang!"_

"You casual gamer, I've played Super Mario Bros. 3 since before you were born, and I say _Fire!_"

"Call me what ya what, ya twit! I say it's _Boomerang!"_

"That's _it!!!_" Izzy roared, lunging. Instantly, a dust cloud appeared as punches, kicks, and screams were heard.

Meanwhile, Lars and co. passed them, not even batting an eyelash at the siblings.

"Ugh! Whoever drew up that map is a major kook!" The brunet in the gray beanie shouted to his cronies. "There was absolutely _nothing_ in there!"

The brothers instantly stopped their skirmish and listened in. Izzy was getting ready to pound Iggy's back while Iggy was getting ready to chomp on Izzy's leg. Their eyes followed the quartet as they disappeared down the hill.

"Come on, ya dorks! We gotta hurry up and get to the next place before Rocket Dork shows up!" Lars ordered.

The brothers fell on the ground after that.

"Ugh..." Izzy groaned as he struggled to stand. "You mean to tell me they STILL didn't find the treasure!?!"

**_"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"_**

The siblings blinked and turned towards the forest.

"...Seems that way..." Iggy answered.

"Hey, wasn't that... _the guy in the sunglasses?_" Izzy asked as his brother stood

"You mean that guy that looks kinda like Knuckles? Yeah, I think it was him."

"Come on! Let's go see what's up!" Izzy said, skating towards the woods, followed by Iggy, who was using his board again.


	5. A Changing Landscape

The Elusive Treasure

Chapter Five

A Changing Landscape

"I don't _believe_ this!" Otto cursed for what seemed the hundredth time as Reggie reached into the chest.

"Hmmmm... What's this?" She murmured as she pulled out a piece of paper and shut the box.

"Looks like another map." Sam said, looking at the paper.

"Why couldn't we find it!?!" Twister moaned.

"So we have to go to _another_ spot, huh?" Rod asked, looking at the map.

"Looks like it." Scott answered, ignoring the two best bros as they cried into each other's shoulder.

"I was gonna be a _nice_ billionaire! I swear!" Otto sobbed.

"Yeah! And I can't even _count_ that high!" Twister supplied.

"So where _is_ the treasure at?" Lou questioned.

------------------

"Ugh! I'm getting a headache!" Izzy groaned, holding his head as he struggled to stand on his own two feet.

"Bro, why don't you put on your _shoes_ already!?" Iggy asked, following on foot.

"Because I—_Ow_!—forgot my shoes at home..." Izzy replied, pushing himself up off the ground.

"Figures." The smaller brunet scoffed as they started off again.

"At least _I'm_ not named after the insane Koopaling!" The older one snapped, causing Iggy to gasp.

"Is that true, Daddy?" He asked, looking up.

(Prince Izzy: O.O;;; Ummm... Errr... Ya see...)

"_Told_ ya." Izzy smirked.

(Prince Izzy: Well... Yes and no?)

"Say it ain't so..." Iggy said, tears coming to his eyes. The other boy, however, was trying to stay standing as he laughed wildly.

(Prince Izzy: Ahem! While you do have the same name as Iggy Koopa, who's also named after some music figure… I didn't intend for that little coincidence.)_  
_  
"I'm _never_ gonna look at myself the same way again..." He moaned, wiping away his tears as he continued towards where the boys' sobbing was coming from.

"Ah... That was priceless..." Izzy said, continuing on.

(Prince Izzy: You should talk. You got the same exact name as Dil Pickles' imaginary alien friend.)_  
_  
"_BUST!!!_" Iggy laughed. The older boy glared at the sky and then at his brother before moving on.

Soon, the brunets reached the clearing where Lou's truck was seen, along with the hole. As soon as they noticed it, Izzy and Iggy dove behind a tree and kept out of sight. After a few moments, in which Reggie was heard screaming at Otto and Twister, the group of seven climbed out of the hole and into the truck. The brothers pressed themselves against the tree as the headlights were turned on. They breathed a sigh of relief when it drove off back to Ocean Shores.

"Ok, the coast is clear. Let's go." Izzy said, jumping into the hole.

"What are we doing? They already left!" Iggy rationalized, following him in.

"I _know_ that. Maybe they left a clue or something as to where they're going next."

With that, Izzy lifted up the lid of the chest, causing them to get engulfed by a bright light. They both gasped in surprise.

"_Impossible!_ They were just here! They wouldn't be dumb enough to just leave the treasure behind!" The elder brother shouted, shutting his eyes.

"Ugh... Whatever's in here, it's _bright!_" Iggy yelled, covering his eyes. "What could be inside?"

"Maybe they left their flashlights on or something." Izzy said, trying to figure out a logical reason.

"Maybe it's the Triforce! We can get our greatest wish granted!"

Izzy gave him a weirded out look before slapping him upside the head.

"Duh! Don't be an idiot! Ya know it's not real! Besides, even if it _was_ the Triforce, it woulda disappeared when _Lars_ got his wish!"

"Then what is it, smart guy!" Iggy spat. They both blinked at each other before looking at the fully open chest.

Inside was a small, tiny, golden, mushroom.

"That's it!?" They roared.

"This little fungus is the _treasure!?_" Izzy yelled, picking it up. "No wonder everybody left it behind!"

"Hey! There's _something else_ in here!" Iggy said, reaching inside.

"What?!" Izzy gasped, pocketing the mushroom. "Lemme see!"

The younger brother pulled out an old-looking scroll. It was torn slightly. Izzy snatched it out of his hand and opened it. His eyes danced over the parchment before he grinned mischievously.

"This is perfect!" He laughed crazily. "Iggy, do you know what this is?!"

"Uhhhh... A dungeon map?"

Izzy fell over.

"No, ya n00b! It's a _treasure_ map! They must've left it behind! This is our big break!"

"Hey, that means we know where the _real_ treasure is!" Iggy grinned as his brother got up.

"Exactly! _Forget_ following them! We're gonna reach it _first!"_ The taller boy laughed giddily as he climbed out of the hole. "Let's go!"

_"Hey!_ Wait for me!" The one in the green helmet shouted, struggling out of the hole as Izzy zoomed off through the steadily darkening forest. As he got onto his board and followed, he had a thoughtful expression on his face.

'_I wonder... Why **did** they just leave the map behind?_' Iggy gasped. '_Maybe there was more than one! ...But why?_' He held his head. '_Ugh! This sorta thing is more Izzy's thing!_'

Shaking his head, he caught up to Izzy and continued on back to Ocean Shores.

-------------

"Guys, I give up, I don't want to spend my entire summer on some wild goose chase." Reggie said.

She was sitting between Otto and Sam, Twister was on the other side of Otto. Roderick sat up front with Scott and Lou.

"We can't give up now! We've come so far, and we have another map!" Sam said.

"Yeah and then we'll find another, and then another, and we'll be searching for the rest of our lives!" Twister said dramatically.

"Oh come on, it's not that bad. Otto? C'mon guys, we can do it!" Rod said, looking at his friends. None of them seemed to have any energy left.

"It's too much work. Walking, and digging." Otto sighed.

"Okay well then let's call it a night, we can start looking again tomorrow."

Later, in the Rocket's house…

Otto was fuming. He really wanted to get his hands on that elusive treasure, and the more it took them to find it, the more impatient he was becoming. It was late at night, but he couldn't sleep so he decided to go downstairs and get some orange juice. Otto jumped from his Cadillac bed and silently walked down the stairs and into the kitchen.

'_Man, this stinks on ice_' - he thought as he walked down the aisle - '_I can't believe we haven't found that treasure yet! And to make things worse, now the Lasers know about it!! This is becoming a very difficult experience!_'

Otto walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge. He was very angry. He poured some orange juice in a glass, and then sat at the table.

'_If only Squid had been more careful!'_ – he thought, slowly drinking his juice. - _'Lars would have never stolen the map, and we would have found the treasure already!' _

'_Oh, well_' - Otto thought, taking the last of his juice - '_At least I know that he didn't do it on purpose. And thanks to Roderick, we kept track of those goons. Now I hope that map we found inside the chest is the right one. I don't want Lars to put his hands on my treasure!_'

Otto left the glass in the sink and returned to his bedroom. Before going to his bed, he peeked through his window, and noticed light in Sam's window.

'_What the...?_'- he thought - '_It's well past midnight, and Squid is still up??? He must be studying the map. One thing is for sure; he might be a lousy surfer and skater, but he is a very smart guy, and when he says he's gonna do something, he makes sure to make it right._' He yawned. '_I bet we'll have the map deciphered when we meet again tomorrow._'

And with that, he got into bed and fell asleep with thoughts of the treasure on his mind.

-.-.-.-.-

Meanwhile, inside Sam's room…

Sam was sitting at his desk. He had changed into his pajamas, but hadn't even touched his bed. He had many history books by him, as well as some maps and charts of the coast of Ocean Shores. His eyes were reddened, and he was very tired; but he was almost finished deciphering the map.

He yawned. '_Oh, boy! What a goose chase!_' - he thought while stretching his limbs.

'_One thing is for sure: whoever buried this treasure did a very good job. I'm almost certain that we'll end up looking for the map somewhere around the beach. But what concerns me most is the effects of that earthquake of 1906. It changed the landscape a lot. And some of the references indicated on this map are no longer there. Turn left and head for the Seagull Inlet. That must be around the channel... near the place Twister almost drowned that time. I wonder what we'll find there,_' he yawned, '_if only we could -----_'

Sam didn't finish the thought. He was too tired. He rested his head on the desktop and fell asleep.

-.-.-.-.-.-

Inside the Rodriguez house...

"Now, spit it, dork!!!" - said Lars.

_"Owww!!_ I don't know what you're talking about!!!"

Lars was whomping Twister, as usual. But this time, it was more like an interrogation than the regular whomping session. Lars had pinned Twister face down on his bed, and was sitting on his waist, bending his arms behind his back.

"Wrong answer, dork!!" he said, bending Twister's arms a bit more, "Now tell me what you dorks found in that chest!!"

"We didn't find _anything_, Lars! OOOWWW! I swear it!! There was _nothing_ inside that chest except for that stupid mushroom and a piece of paper---- ooops!!!"

"Aha!!!! I _knew_ you had found something!! What's on that paper, dork??"

"_OOOUUUCCCHHH!!! Nothing!!! It was... just an old piece of paper!!!!_"_  
_  
"You better tell me, or I'll make sushi with you, Twister!!!"

"_LARS!! MAURICE!!! STOP THAT FIGHT ALREADY, OR ELSE!!!_" cried Mrs. Rodriguez from her room.

Twister sighed. '_Just in time! What kept you, mom??_'

"Saved by the bell, again. But I'll give you a warning, dork! You _won't_ get away with that treasure! I'll be looking at you _very carefully_, and when I find out the location of that chest."

Lars made a punching move. Twister gulped. Lars released him and went to his room.

'_That was close!!_' thought Twister, '_I'll need to convince Otto to let me spend the night at his place tomorrow, or Lars will whomp me again!_'

----------------

Scotty pored over an urgent email he'd gotten from Sam.

"According to calculations, taking into effect the 1906 earthquake, next location to be checked is most probably underwater. I'm aware that you and Lou are scuba divers; would you have access to a motorboat and additional equipment for a few more people? - Sam."

Scotty replied immediately.

"That we do, but checking out that location might require additional equipment. Will check in the meantime if I can locate an underwater metal sensor. Will advise when we are ready to roll; could take a day or so to get everything squared away. Do you have an idea of the expected depth? - Scott."

Lou was still online. Scotty fired off an IM to him. "Things are getting interesting on this treasure quest, bro. We may need to go diving."

"We'll all need to have breakfast tomorrow at my place," replied Lou. "I'll email everybody but Twister; there seems to be a security problem there."

"I'll say. One wearing a gray beanie and a purple jersey with a red star," responded Scott. "What time you coming by?"

"Seven o'clock at the latest. I'll phone you on my way over," Lou rejoindered. "Go to bed, now; tomorrow will be a big day."

"As ever is the case with us," answered Scott with a toothy smiley. "Be seeing you, bro."

Scott powered down his computer and left a note on his bedroom door. "Plans with Lou and friends early. - Scott." That would be more than good enough for his mom and dad. Lou was a good influence on Scott since the two boys had met a few years earlier, and was a frequent presence at the Sanchez home.

Lou wandered down to the garage of the Crumpacker home. The white, seventeen-foot Boston Whaler sat in its trailer, ready for immediate use; elsewhere in the garage sat six fully configured aqualungs and other various diving equipment. He was tempted to go out there right away and look for himself--but, that wouldn't be such a good idea, rushing into that sort of situation, let alone at night. He was tempted to knock on Dullard's door right then and ask him what he'd learned. Permission would be no issue, as Lou was a competent skipper and had been fully trained on the boat's operation; his mom and step dad were away on the other side of the world on a long-deferred honeymoon and would not be back for several days. Lou went back to his computer and sent an urgent breakfast invitation email to Otto, Reggie, and Sam. He added Roderick too; though Roderick almost certainly didn't dive, it would be no big deal to show him how to snorkel and let him watch from overhead.

Meanwhile, at the other end of town...

The Lopez residence was a modest home. It was a house that sat on the hills of Ocean Shores close to Ocean Bluffs. It was three stories high and had a beautiful ceramic roof. All the windows were dark, except for one. A faint light was coming from the leftmost window on the second floor. Inside, a figure was seen pacing frantically.

'_No, no, no! This can't be happening!_'

The person this thought belonged to was none other than Izzy, the older of the two Lopez Brothers. He was dressed in a pair of blue flannel pajama pants with a matching shirt. He was wearing a red robe over the shirt. It was open, making it seem like he was wearing a cape. The robe swirled around whenever he turned, giving him an almost ominous presence. His hands were clenched into two fists as he stormed around his room. His hands were sweating profusely as he moved around the space.

His emotions were a jumbled mess. He was confused, scared, mad, and nervous to say the least. His brows were furrowed as he paced back and forth. Anybody who knew the boy personally knew that he was pondering. Whenever he was moving around the way he was, it was clear that a great thought was weighing heavily on him. And what was this thought, you ask?

'_Blast! It CAN'T be there! It just CAN'T!!!_' He picked his bucket hat off his head with his right hand and ran his left through his hair. '_Of all the places for the treasure to be, it's THERE!?!_' He roared inwardly as he turned towards the desk at the end of the room. Sitting on it were the treasure map and the gold mushroom he and Iggy found earlier that day.

'_No... It's impossible..._' He gritted his teeth as he stomped towards the map. '_I've done every single calculation I can think of and the result never changes!_' He picked up the map, which had an X at the east end of it. He then looked at a map of current-day Ocean Shores. A red circle was marked where the harbor was.

'_It makes no sense! How is it there!?! If the treasure was at the harbor, surely SOMEONE would've found it by now!!! Unless..._'

He blinked as pure fear washed over him.

'_It's UNDERWATER!!! How can we get to it now!? Maybe I messed up somehow._' He held his head as he sat at the desk. '_But I can't take that chance! By now, Blondie would've figured out where it is._' He growled at the thought of that kid in the black-rimmed glasses. '_So fine. It's underwater. That means there must be a sea cave under the harbor._'

He remembered hearing about an earthquake that occurred nearly a hundred years ago. If it happened exactly where the treasure was, it must've gotten buried under all that rubble. Then weathering and corrosion must've caused a cave to form. Izzy sighed. It was a stretch, but for now, he was going have to go with it.

'_Hmmm..._' He grumbled, crossing his arms. '_So now the question remains. How do Iggy and I get down there?_'

So many different probabilities came to mind. Unfortunately, a high number of them involved him and his brother being seen by the other parties. He groaned and laid his head on the desk. He faced the mushroom he found in the chest and grabbed it with a sigh.

'_What can I do? I'm at a dead end._'

He sat up and moved the strange trinket around in his hands, feeling every detail of the object.

'_What if me and Iggy joined up with one of the other guys?_'

He pounded the desk with his left hand at that idea.

'_No way! It'd never work! That Lars guy is way too untrustworthy! If I joined up with him, he'll take it all for himself! Besides, how are he and his group supposed to get down there?_'

He leaned back as he thought about the other alternative.

'_Should I really join up with Blondie and those other guys?_'

He leaned forward and placed the mushroom on the desk. He propped his head on his left arm as he studied it. He tapped his right fingers as he contemplated this.

'_They **do** have a good chance of getting it... Blondie's group has a whole seven people while I only have Iggy with me, and he's a complete idiot.'_

He sighed sorrowfully.

'_Plus, they have so many resources at their disposal. The money made by those guys that run the Shack, not to mention the fact they're pretty popular among the rest of the town._'

He heaved another heavy sigh.

'_What I wouldn't give to be as popular as them. With me, it's always, "Hey! There's that geeky gamer!" I can't give up though. They may have money and some other advantages, but I have an ace up my sleeve. I have some money to throw around myself. I just gotta figure out how to use it..._'

That was when something came to mind.

'_Yeah... That's perfect! If I rent a sub and get a crew together, Iggy and I can make it to the treasure first! I just hope Mom will lend me the cash for everything._'

He gave a moan when another thought arose.

'_But that means a lot more people are gonna know about this. This could mean trouble..._' He shrugged. '_Eh, oh well. It's about time I make myself known anyway. It'll make this little treasure hunt that much more fun._'_  
_  
Smirking devilishly, he grabbed a piece of paper from one of the desk's drawers and got to work on his game plan. He worked hard into the night and made extensive plans for almost any possible situation he and his brother may wind up in. When he was sure his plan was one hundred percent foolproof, he turned off the room's only source of light, a reading lamp on the desk, and climbed into his twin sized bed. Considering how late it was, he fell asleep almost immediately. It seemed that everything would go his way. He smiled as he left the world of the living and entered the realm of dreams.

What he _didn't_ notice, however, was the golden mushroom, which was radiating with a strange glow...


	6. Foreboding and Confrontation

The Elusive Treasure

Chapter Six

Foreboding and Confrontation

(Close-up to Twister. His eyes are tightly closed, and an expression of fear is on his face)

_Twister opened his eyes and looked around. He was standing on the edge of a wooden ship's deck. It was an old schooner – or so he thought. There were three large masts, a wooden frame and deck, lots of rope all around, cotton sails on every mast, and a couple of cannons on each side of the deck, their muzzles protruding from the portholes. But the oddest detail was the black flag on the tallest mast, with a large skull and two crossed bones as ensign. _

_Then he looked up front. He could see the blue ocean beneath him, extending in all directions. No sign of land or any other ship on sight. It would have been a beautiful sight in other circumstances. _

_Twister looked at himself. He wasn't wearing shoes or shirt; only those shorts he used as a bathing suit. And, instead of his trademark cap, he had a large, red handkerchief tied on his head, covering his hair. All his appearance was that of a low-rank pirate. _

_Twister looked down and gulped when he noticed the three steely, blue-grey fins that were moving lazily in circles on the water right by the ship's keel. He knew what they were: he had seen a TV special on sharks some time ago. It was odd to know that those fish were patiently waiting for their lunch… and then he suddenly realized that he was about to become their lunch! _

_Twister tried to step back, but it was impossible. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't separate his legs. He couldn't move his arms either; they were paralyzed in a very uncomfortable position, bent painfully behind his back. Puzzled, he looked down and noticed that Pi Piston was crouching behind him, making a knot on some ropes. That explained it: Pi had immobilized him very efficiently, tying his wrists and ankles with ropes to prevent him from escaping. _

_After securing the ropes, Pi stood and went to the middle of the deck, descending through a hatch to the ship's hold. Then Twister noticed a figure standing on the aft castle; it was none other than Lars, dressed in an old-fashioned pirate suit, complete with a large hat with crossed bones and skull, and a patch on his eye. He even had a foul-mouthed parrot on his shoulder. His crooked smile looked even crueler than ever as he watched his henchman prepare the execution. _

_"Lars" – Twister pleaded – "Please… don't do it…" _

_"Silence, you miserable dork! I warned you to tell me the truth about the treasure map!! You refused, and now I'll give you what you deserve!!!" _

_Twister looked down again, trying in vain to keep a tear from rolling from his eyes. _

_"Make sure this dork will sink to the bottom, Piston!" _

_"Yes, Sir!" – answered Pi as he climbed from the hold, carrying a large rope and a very heavy ballast rock in his hands._

_Pi kneeled behind Twister and tied the rock with one end of the rope. Then he made a sliding noose on the other end. He stood behind Twister and put the noose around his neck, tightening it securely. Finally he bent over, picked the heavy rock in his hands, and walked to Twister's side. _

_"Everything's ready, captain!" – said Pi, turning to Lars. _

_"Ok. Proceed with the execution, lieutenant!" _

_"Aye, aye, sir!" _

_Pi raised the stone over his head and prepared to throw it to the sea. Twister closed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth, sweating profusely and feeling his heart pounding inside his chest. As if they knew that lunch was on the way, the sharks had begun to move frantically and jump out of the water, ready to eat the unfortunate kid. _

_::Whoosh::_

_Twister felt the noose tighten around his neck as the heavy rock pulled him down to the sea. _

_"ACK!!!!" _

_He couldn't keep his balance; the rock was too heavy and made him fall overboard. _

_::SPLAASHH::_

_Twister sank to the bottom, pulled by the rock. He couldn't swim to the surface, and in seconds he began to feel the effects of the asphyxia; but then he saw this enormous shark, coming towards him at full speed, mouth agape, ready to swallow him in a single bite!!! _

_Twisted tried to wiggle out of the ropes, but it was useless. The shark was becoming larger, and larger, and larger…_

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

Twister fell from his bed and woke up, just when the shark in his dream was about to finish him off. He was sweating profusely, and took him some minutes to convince himself that he was safe in his house.

When he finally realized he had a very nasty dream, he sighed in relief.

"Man, that was sick!!" – He told to himself – "Too nasty, even for Lars; but I better be careful from now on."

Twister looked through his window and noticed the sky was clearing, making way for the rising sun.

"It's dawn. I better hurry; I'll be safer with Otto and the others. Hope I can get out of the house before Lars wakes up!"

Twister rose and went to his closet, took his clothes, and got dressed as fast and quietly as possible.

At the Rockets' home…

"Come on Rocket Boy, we've gotta go," Reggie said, shaking her sleeping brother.

"Where are we going?" Otto asked.**  
**  
"We're going to Lou's for breakfast. Don't you check your e-mail?"

"Not at seven in the morning I don't." Otto replied before getting out of bed. Reggie left the room and went downstairs to call Twister and Sam while Otto got dressed.

In Sammy's room…  
**  
**::Riiiing..... riiiiing.....::

Sammy stirred when he heard the phone ringing. He was aching; after all, falling asleep on your desktop is not precisely comfortable. The phone rang several times until he finally managed to reach for it.

"Hello??" He yawned.

"_Sam, wake up! We have a meeting with Scott and Lou in a couple of minutes! They emailed us late last night; apparently they have the stuff we'll need to find the treasure. Hurry!!_"

"Sure, Reg... Just five more minutes...." Sam snored.

"**_S A M ! ! !_**"

"I'm up!! I'm up!!" he responded.

Sammy fixed his glasses and looked at his computer screen. He had left the machine on all night, and the monitor was flashing with a message window that read "You've got mail"

"Hold on a sec, Reg... I received a message from Scott..." Sam clicked on the window and opened the message. "Hum... OK. Scott says they can get all the stuff we need for our dive."

"_Our **dive?**_"_ Reg asked._

"Heh. Sorry, Reg. Forgot to tell you. I was analyzing the map last night, and according to my calculations, the treasure chest is underwater, somewhere near the channel. I wrote Scott about this last night, and I figure he emailed Lou."

"_That makes sense, Sam. So, you're ready?_"

"Sure! Just give me a moment to... err... slip into something more appropriate and I'll meet you guys outside your house."

"_Ok, Sam. I'll call Twister._"

"Hum... maybe you should go over there, instead of call him. Lars could eavesdrop on you."

"_Good point. I'll go to Twist's while you and Otto get dressed._"

Sam heard the telephone click when Reggie terminated the call, and seconds later got a glimpse of her when she exited her home.

"Aah!" - sighed Sam, looking at Reggie dreamily for a sec. But he caught himself and shook his head. - "Gotta hurry."

Sam walked to his closet and got some fresh clothes. He also got a swimming suit, just in case. Taking the clothes with him, he went to the bathroom to take a quick shower and get dressed.

----

Reggie rang the doorbell at the Rodriguez home, hoping she could get to talk to Twister immediately. Fortunately for her, Twist was up, and was ready to escape. Twister opened the door before Reggie rang, surprising her.

"Twist---"

"Shush! We better leave quietly, Reg!" Twister took Reg's wrist and dragged her to the street and into the Rocket's backyard. He didn't let go of her until they were hiding behind the Rocket's half pipe.

"What's eating, you Twist??" - demanded Reggie, a bit upset.

"S...sorry about that, Reg." - apologized Twist - "But I had to escape from Lars. He whomped me again last night, asking me to tell him what we found in the chest, and made me tell him about the map..."

"**_Twister!!!_**"

"I know, I know... But I had no choice, Reg! He said that, if I didn't tell him..." Twister motioned his finger across his neck, as if cutting it.

"How rude! Your brother is a real lame-o, Twist!"

"I thought you should know this, Reg. We should be careful; you know how he acts when he is in his bully mode."

"Yeah, it's good to know, Twist. Don't worry; I'll tell the guys when we are together"

A couple of minutes later, Otto left the house and joined them, just when Sammy was crossing the street. Soon the four friends were saluting each other with a woogie, and boarded their skateboards.

They didn't notice that an old brown Mazda 626 began to follow them discreetly.

At the Lopez house…

::Brrrrrrrriiiiiiiinnnnnnnnngggggggg!!!!!!::

Izzy shifted groggily in his bed. With a groan, he grabbed his alarm clock off the nearby shelf. A few seconds passed before he unceremoniously tossed it across the room. With a loud crash, it shattered into a million pieces. He moaned as he picked up his head. It was clear he's seen better days. Dark circles were present under his bloodshot eyes, his hair was tousled, and his hat was lopsided. He yawned as he sat up.

"Ugh... What a night... I feel like a got hit by a bob-omb..." He stretched his arms. "And that dream... It just kept repeating and repeating...!"

::Flashback::

_Izzy was standing in a dark field. It was completely devoid of life. The trees were dead all around. The ground was completely dry. Not a single thing grew out of it. The boy then heard a deathly moan._

_"Who's there!?" He shouted into the darkness. The moans continued as he looked all around for the source._

_"Stay away from the Cajon de la Esperanza..." A ghastly voice cried out to him._

_"Stay away from the...what...?" Izzy asked confusedly._

_What sounded like a slap on the head echoed throughout the wasteland._

_"The Cajon de la Esperanza!"_

_"Wha...?" The brunet was still confused._

_Another slap was heard._

_"The treasure, ya idiot!" The voice shouted bluntly._

_"Oh yeah! My bad!" Izzy replied with a sheepish chuckle. He gasped as a thought came to him. "Stay away from the treasure!? Over my dead body!"_

_"If you continue to pursue the Cajon de la Esperanza, that **will** be your fate..." The voice moaned, getting back into character._

_"Pfft! And why should I listen to some figment of my imagination!?" The boy scoffed, crossing his arms._

_"Because the treasure is haunted..."_

_"And I should care why...?" Izzy mocked, imitating the voice._

_"Ummm..." The voice replied. Sounds of scratching could be heard. "**BECAUSE I SAID SO!!!**"_

_The brunet gave a terrified scream as a horrible monster appeared before him. It was a giant skeleton that had four arms. In three of its bony hands, there were pirate swords. In the forth was a hook. They all looked rusty and were dripping blood. Izzy paled when he looked up at the beast's face. He was staring into a skull. In its eye sockets were two red glowing orbs. They started into the boy's very soul. Finally, it was all topped off with a torn and ragged pirate's hat. A worn skull and crossbones was stitched in the very center. Without warning, the monster lunged with all of its blades drawn back. The boy gave another shriek as it drew closer and closer..._

::End Flashback::

"Brrr... I'm glad I always woke up before the end came..." Izzy sighed, wiping his sweaty head. "And that thing. Talk about creepy. It looked just like Cortez, that one boss in Paper Mario 2. Only difference was it didn't speak with a Spanish accent. Not that Cortez actually had a voice in the game—he talked through speech bubbles—but still..."

::SLAM!::

"Huh?" Izzy looked up to find his brother, who was grinning from ear to ear.

"Come on, bro! It's a new day! We gotta find that treasure!" Iggy shouted cheerfully before running off. The older boy glared at the doorway.

"Grrr... He's way too happy today..." He growled. He then sighed, letting it go. "He's right, though. We gotta find it before the others."

With another groan, he straightened out his hat, stood up, and changed into his normal clothes. When he finished getting ready, he grabbed the treasure map, the map of current-day Ocean Shores, and the gold mushroom from yesterday. He then left his bedroom and proceeded downstairs. His eyes were clouded over in thought as he walked.

'_Why did I keep having that dream? And why was it so vivid?_' He mused. '_I almost swore I could smell the death in the air. And when that...thing showed up, it looked so real. It was almost like a vision o-o-or an omen..._'

He shook his head vigorously.

'_Never mind! It was just a stupid dream! I'm not about to let some crazy nightmare stop me from getting all that gold!_' He scowled as he neared the kitchen. '_Hmph! I knew Mom didn't that cook that fish all the way! It must've messed with my head!_'

Convinced that it was just a weird dream, Izzy entered the kitchen. His brother was already fully dressed. He was sitting at the table with a full bowl of cereal.

"Good morning, bro!" Iggy shouted as his sibling sat down.

"Great... It's morning and _already _he's hyper..." The taller boy grumbled as he dumped the maps in front of him.

"So what's the plan? Didja figure out where the treasure is? Where is it, huh, huh, huh?!"

Izzy sweatdropped as the younger boy carried on.

'_Yep... Definitely hyper._' He thought as he prepared to speak.

"Yeah, I figured out where the treasure is. It's in a sea cave under the harbor." He then added as an afterthought, "At least I _hope _it's in a sea cave... And as for the plan, I was thinking we could rent a sub and hire a crew or something. Considering your current state, I doubt you'll be of much help, but any thoughts on where we can find a crew?"

"Ummm..." The hyper boy put on a thoughtful look while keeping that toothy grin of his. A few seconds passed before he blinked. "Hey yeah! Isn't there some club or something that goes underwater?!"

"You mean the Sea Crest Engineer club?" Izzy put a hand to his chin. "I suppose they do underwater exploration... But what does that help? Unless..." He gasped. "Of course! They _do_ have a sub we can use! All we gotta do is work out some sort of deal with the president of the club and we'll be golden!" He drummed his fingers on the table. "But who's the president, anyway? It's on the tip of my tongue..."

"Ummm..." Iggy tried to think of the name.

"He has orange hair and wears glasses, if I remember correctly..." Izzy said. "But what's his name...?"

The younger brother blinked in realization.

"Ooh, ooh! I know, I know!" He shouted, raising his hand.

"Come on, brain! Work with me!" The older boy groaned, ignoring Iggy. "Who was it???"

"Come on, bro! Pick me! Pick me!" Iggy yelled, waving his hand frantically.

"Ugh! I can't think!" Izzy pounded the table in frustration. He glared at the other boy, who was going crazy. "What _now_!?!"

"I know who it is!" The younger one practically screamed.

"_Well!?!_ Who is it, then?!"

"His name was Oliver! Oliver Van Rossom!" Iggy answered, laying his head on the table. Izzy blinked and held his chin.

"Oh yeah..." He said. Iggy blinked in response.

"Yay! I got one right!" He shouted with a wide grin.

"Yeah... Had to happen _some _time..." The older brother rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I'll call him and see if he'll lend us the club's sub for the hunt. I'll probably have to give him some of the gold though..."

"Who cares!?" The younger brunet yelled, still proud of his accomplishment. "As long as we beat everybody else to it, who cares if we gotta pay them!?"

"Hmmm... Good point." Izzy nodded. "Alright. I'll give him a call in a couple of hours. It's still early, after all."

And so, with their plan set, the Lopez Brothers ate breakfast and did their daily grooming.

On the way to Lou's place…

Otto, Reggie, Twister, and Sam were skating along the road. Otto happened to glance behind him and catch a view of the brown Mazda that was following some distance behind them.

"Why would Pi be following us, guys?" He asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Twister answered.

Coming in the other direction was Lou's pickup truck, with Lou and Scott. They were on their way over to Ozone Street to pick up the gang, when Otto waved at them. Strangely, they didn't stop right away to pick them up, because Scott observed, "Why is Pi Piston following Otto and the gang?"

Lou could only respond, "I dunno, but knowing the Lasers, it can't be good. Whatever's going on, it's time to nip it in the bud, before it gets out of hand. Hang on!"

Lou made a U-turn as they passed the Mazda, then overtook it, and with a honk of his horn, coerced the driver of the small car over to the side of the road.

Lou was hopping mad. He stepped out of the cab of his truck and strode over. "What's the deal, Piston?" he demanded, standing head and shoulders above the young delinquent, whose haughty expression turned to one of fear and confusion once confronted by the two angry young men.

Pi knew he could take on any one guy in Ocean Shores and win, but being confronted by a duo such as Lou and Scott threw several unknowns into the equation. Besides, Pi was alone, and had trouble finding his voice.

"I asked you a question, **_dork!_**" Lou bellowed at Pi, as Scott mostly watched, still at the ready.

"W-w-well," Pi began to whine, "Lars wanted me to keep an eye on—" Without warning, Lou grabbed the bully by his shirt and shoved him against the side of his own car.

"Now you listen to me, **_punk!_**" Lou hissed. "Twister is our friend. If you—or Lars—_**really** _need to know, I give you my word of honor that he will be perfectly safe. Which is not as likely to be the case if you, Lars, or the rest of your hooligan mob have your way. Mark my words: if so much as a hair on his head is disturbed, or a bruise put on his body—or that of his friends—so help me, mister, each of you will answer to _me_. Have I made myself perfectly clear?"

"Yes sir," Pi managed through a choked larynx, his face turning purple.

"Now, **be_ gone!_**" shouted Lou. "Don't interfere with our activities, and don't let me see your ugly face 'round here again!" Lou let go of Pi, who got back into his car and drove away.

The kids circled back to where Lou and Scott were after Pi left.

"Everything okay, Lou?" asked Sammy, ever curious.

"Yeah," Lou answered. "Just told a lost soul where he needed to go." Twister couldn't help a small grin at Lou's comment. "C'mon, guys; pile in, and let's go eat!"

- - - -

When Lou and the Ozone Streeters pulled up at Lou's place, a large green SUV was parked at the curb, with a good size trailered motorboat. A tall, pretty, thirtysomething blond woman stood to greet them. The younger kids recognized her immediately.

"Breezy!" Reggie exclaimed.

"Hi, guys!" replied Breezy. "Scotty filled me in on the situation, and I sort of thought that time was of the essence. So, I thought I'd tag along on your little expedition."

"I think we can use all the help we can get on this one," Lou agreed. "Let's get inside and I'll treat us all to a good old fashioned pancakes-eggs-and-bacon breakfast with oj and cocoa and everything. We've got a whole lotta stuff to discuss..."


	7. Legend and Rivalry

The Elusive Treasure 

Chapter Seven

Legend and Rivalry

_At the Crumpacker house…_

Lou and Otto busied themselves in the kitchen preparing and dishing out portions of food for the others, who sat at the dining room table. Sam and Scott, at the other end of the room, prepared to give a presentation as they hooked up Sam's laptop to an entertainment center. Displayed was a map of Ocean Shores, denoting the different dig sites the kids had been led to.

"Okay, guys," Sam began, as Lou quickly drew the shades closed, "it occurred to me over the past few days that it's possible that the treasure might actually have been situated at each of these locations at some time in the past. The 'possessor' - or 'possessors' - were moving it from time to time, as the old communities of Santa Lucia, then McKinley burg, then Sea view Park and Port Bixby got built out one after another."

Twister nodded knowingly as Sam spoke.

"What the possessor wanted to do, we think," contributed Scott, "was to keep the treasure away from each new development, but to be able in someway to allow a successor - or heir - to find it. Why they never used the treasure themselves for things that they might want, I really don't know."

Twister had his own ideas about that subject, but decided to remain quiet for now.

"Anyway," Sam continued, "the terrible earthquake of Wednesday, 18 April 1906, had discernible consequences, not only in San Francisco but throughout other regions of California as well. For example, a large section of the earth east of what was called 'Seagull Inlet' in those days was thrown down about thirty feet, and for that reason the outline of the coast looks vastly different between the ancient and modern maps."

"We tracked the coordinates of the next waypoint to a location in the Marina," Scott continued. "It's entirely possible that this location was dry ground a hundred years ago. What's even more amazing, however, is that it's located on the side of an underwater hill of sorts, and the sea bottom drops off rather abruptly in one part from twelve down to twenty-seven feet. Additionally, there are hills in the unincorporated territory nearby where we have explored some fairly large caverns."

"Hmmmmm.... So, if there's an underwater cave there, there's a pretty good chance the treasure's still in there," Reggie reasoned.

"And the possessor would have thought it lost forever in the earthquake," Otto thought out loud.

"What we propose is this," Lou spoke up. "We'll anchor at the coordinates. Breezy, Scotty, and I, being the most experienced, will dive to the probable location of the cavern and look for a way in. She'll wait outside, holding a guide line for us while we check the inside with flashlights. We'll check the area with a metal sensor. If we get a hit on something, and if it's safe, the three of us will conduct a briefing on the surface and we'll go from there."

"Won't we get in trouble from the lifeguards for diving in the marina?" Twister wondered.

"Already taken care of," Breezy answered, smiling as she brandished a paper form with a large purple stamp on it. "We have a permit to conduct research there with two vessels through tomorrow evening."

Then there was a knock at the door. Scott opened the door to let Roderick in.

"Sorry I'm late, guys" - the boy apologized - "I overslept... again"

"Don't worry, Rod" - answered Scott - "It is still early, and we know you have a hard time getting up in the mornings"

"Yeah, those medicines are a pain."

Rod turned as his father, Mike, was getting some maps and books from their car, a certain white racer with a large "M" on the hood and a faded number 5 on the sides.

"Thought you could use this information, guys" - said Mike, giving the maps and books to Scott - "Roderick told us about the treasure and the legend, and I remembered hearing something about that from my folks in Holland. The similarities are remarkable."

"Woah! You have a lot of information here!" - said Scott, poring on the documents, many of which had sticky notes marking the relevant data. "But we might have a little trouble translating from Dutch..."

"No worries. Roderick can help you with that." - said Mike, giving his son a playful nudge on his head - "Well, I gotta go. Promised Monica to take her and Arthur to the sea park. Have a good day, guys! And happy treasure hunting!!"

"We will, dad. Thanks!!"

Scott and Rod entered the house and put the books on the table. The rest of the gang gathered around it, looking curiously at the strange maps.  
**  
**"Gee, Rod! I never thought you could also read Dutch!" - said Otto, looking at one of the manuscripts.  
**  
**"Well, just a little, Otto" - said Roderick, grinning - "Sometimes having relatives on both sides of the Atlantic has its advantages!!"  
**  
**"Ok, guys. Let's get down to business, shall we??" - said Lou - "We still need to do a lot of research to define a plan."  
**  
**"I agree" - said Breezy - "But I'm curious; what's this legend about?? I'm not sure if I ever heard of it before"  
**  
**"Me neither", added Reggie.  
**  
**"Same here" - responded Otto and Sam  
**  
**"Well, maybe Twister can tell us more about this story" - Scott suggested.  
**  
**"Well... Ok. Here it goes."  
**  
**Twister cleared his throat and started lecturing the gang.

"Back in the 18th century, a corsair was causing trouble to the Spanish galleons that arrived in Acapulco; you know, the.... Nao of China, I think they were called. These galleons carried silk, ivory and other goods from China and returned with gold and silver from Mexico's mines. They were so overloaded that many of them actually sank.

"Anyway; this pirate, a Dutchman, by the way, began attacking the galleons and stealing their gold. For several years he succeeded on this. It didn't matter how hard the Spanish armada tried, they never caught him. But one day, when his ship was attacking an old galleon, it received a cannon ball through its side and began taking on water. The pirates tried to fix the ship, but to no use. Soon the hold was inundated, and they had to abandon the attack and make a run up north, because this galleon had a large escort, with many other ships.  
**  
**"Anyway; they sailed north until they reached the Baja California peninsula, with the Spanish ships right behind them. Luckily for them, a storm developed and forced the Spanish army to stop. The pirate ship faced the storm and almost made it to Catalina Island. But the ship would not make it there. The leak became bigger and bigger, and finally they were forced to abandon it somewhere near the coast of today's Southern California.  
**  
**"Now, the legend has it that they abandoned the ship with a large chest, containing the product of their pillage. They arrived in the shore and hid the treasure, fearing the Spanish army might catch up with them soon.

"They say the pirates arrived in a Franciscan mission and told the _padres_ they were _náufragos_. The _padres_ believed them and took them in. They hid with them for weeks, and finally left, paying the friars for their hospitality with a golden crucifix and many coins... _pieces of eight_, as they called them. Then they disappeared, just a couple of days before the Spanish army got to the mission.  
**  
**"After that, nobody heard of the pirates again. Some said they stole another ship and returned to sea, some others said they went to Mexico, and even others said they were made prisoners and executed. But the truth is, nobody ever found their treasure chest, which began to be called the 'box of hope', or, _'Cajón de la esperanza'_. And that's what I know about the legend."  
**  
**Otto, Reggie and Sam were blinking in disbelief. Since when Twister was capable of telling a story like this??  
**  
**"Whoa..." - said Otto.  
**  
**"That was a very good story, Twist!" - added Reggie.  
**  
**"Thanks. But it doesn't help us much, does it??" Twister replied.  
**  
**"Hum... there are some details missing, but maybe Roderick can help us out here" - said Scott.

Everybody, save Scott, looked at Roderick, confused. How could he help them understand the legend??

"Hum... Believe it or not, Twister's tale sounds very familiar, dudes" -said Roderick. "My dad told me about a certain pirate who lived in Amsterdam in 1750 or so. A guy named Frans Banninck or something like that. Anyway; nobody knew where this guy came from. But he arrived with a huge fortune, and quickly settled in Amsterdam, buying a big house by a channel. This guy visited the docks very often, and some people said he had a fleet. But nobody knew what their cargo was.  
**  
**"Anyway, whatever his activities, he soon became suspect and the crown had him arrested. When they questioned, they discovered he was a pirate who had attacked many Spanish ships in the Atlantic. Long story short, they had him executed, but never found the treasure chest. But his statement was like a photocopy of Twister's legend! He said he was in command of a ship that foundered a couple of miles from the Southern California shore, that he and his men buried the chest, that they befriended the padres, and that some of his men stayed in California to make sure the treasure was safe, and that they sent part of the money to him every six months or so. That's how he got his money. Of course, nobody bothered to go to California to capture the other pirates.  
**  
**"Now it was clear for all. When the pirates stopped receiving news from their leader, they buried the chest somewhere else and hid. But they buried a map in the place where the treasure had been originally, should the captain returned sometime."  
**  
**"...But he never returned, and the men the pirate left in California took a cut and found something else to do, or died off," observed Sam. "Amazing."  
**  
**"Assuming that chest is even half full of bullion or jewelry or whatever, what might it be worth?" Otto asked.  
**  
**"Intrinsically, that means in terms of carats of jewels, or ounces of precious metal, seven or eight figures, conservatively. But in terms of cultural value, the pieces could be worth much more," answered Lou.  
**  
**"The trail appears to end at this quake-sunken cave. Now anything could have happened to the site in the past hundred years...had anchors dragged over it, get fouled with fishnets, who knows? But in our favor is that it's near the channel, and the area receives a clear flow of water twice a day, which gives us the optimum window of opportunity to check out the site. Could we see the tide chart, Sam?" asked Scott.  
**  
**"The next low tide will be at 11:24 AM, and the following high tide will be at about 5 PM. So, we can begin diving on the site shortly afternoon, and depending on what we need to do, we'll have clear water til five o'clock. This schedule will of course change slightly with each succeeding day, because of the advancing position of the moon," Sam replied. Being surfers of course, even Twister knew the importance of paying attention to the tides, which could make a difference between a sweet surf session and a closed out reef.  
**  
**"Okay then," Lou said, "we need to get organized starting now, and get our boats down to the water within the next couple of hours. The little altercation I had with one of the Lasers a short while ago suggests that time is our enemy. Let's get busy!" Lou urged.  
**  
**Almost immediately, everybody helped put away the dishes and adjourned to the garage to help prepare for the day's activities.

_Meanwhile..._  
**  
**"Ugh... Bro, how long do we have to wait?" Iggy moaned as he knocked out Link. He was playing Super Smash Bros. Melee in the Lopezes' living room while Izzy paced around, looking at the clock. "I'm bored!"  
**  
**"I know! I know!" The older brother roared as Iggy dodged another attack. He was playing as Bowser. "I just wanna make sure I'm not calling too early so that I don't waste valuable time! Who knows how close Blondie and everybody else is to the treasure!?"  
**  
**"But seriously, how long are we gonna wait?! It's already..." Iggy paused to look at the clock. "Nine o'clock! How long are we gonna wait!?"  
**  
**Izzy stopped pacing and raised a dark eyebrow at his brother. "Why'd you ask the same question twice?" He shook his head as Iggy resumed playing." Never mind! If I call too early, Oliver or anybody I can talk to won't be there, and then I'll have to keep calling and calling and calling until eventually, somebody picks up, but I'll be too tired to actually work out the deal!"  
**  
**Iggy sighed. "Whatever you say..." He then went back to his game and knocked out the blond hero in green again.  
**  
**The taller brunet continued to pace around, watching the seconds slowly tick away. Meanwhile, several thoughts were entering his mind. He questioned the reality of the dream he had last night with that strange monster. He wondered if it really _was_ his mother's cooking that caused him to have that dream. It seemed too real, like he was physically standing in that field with that strange smell wafting all around him. But it was just a bad dream. It couldn't be real. Could it? The boy shook his head and continued walking around. He then thought about his hated rival. Was Sam _really_ that close to the treasure? Would he and his friends beat the brunet and his brother to the riches?

No! That's impossible!  
**  
**His plan was foolproof! He had thought out every single possible detail and scenario! All he would have to do is call Oliver and get a crew together. No problem. There was no way he could fail! He'll beat his rival to the treasure and get all those fabulous jewels with which he'll go on a shopping spree!  
**  
**'_Then again..._' He stopped and held his chin. '_What if Oliver doesn't buy into this treasure deal?_'  
**  
**It was possible. After all, the redhead in the green rimmed glasses was much smarter than him. He'd probably see it as a joke, a hoax, or even worse, just another plot to get at Sam. Izzy's rivalry with Sam was legendary. Nobody in Ocean Shores has witnessed such brutal confrontations. They were almost as bad as Otto and Lars, if you can imagine it. They fought over the littlest things and even competed in many of the town's events and contests.  
**  
**Needless to say, the taller boy lost nearly all the time. It made his blood boil thinking about all the losses he suffered. But he won't lose out on this. Even if it's the last thing he does, he and his brother _will_ lay claim to that treasure! But first, he had to convince Oliver to cooperate, and _that_ wasn't going to be easy. As already mentioned, there was the possibility of the president of the Sea Crest Engineer club shrugging the whole thing off as yet another battle between the two rivals. Of course, there _also_ is the probability of Oliver joining him. If Izzy remembered correctly, the redhead was also a rival of the blond. He might jump at the chance to beat Sam in a battle of wits with a sweet treasure as his trophy. So many possible outcomes. He had no clue if his plan would succeed. If the club president didn't allow him and his brother to borrow the sub, he may_ never_ get the gold and jewels. He might as well forget all about it.  
**  
**Of course, all these questions can be answered with a simple phone call, but it was still too early to call! He needed to talk to Oliver _now_, not some blasted answering machine!  
**  
**"Ugh! How long is this going to take!?" He shouted, glaring at the clock. Only thirty minutes had passed since he got into his reverie.  
**  
**"Just call already! I'm sick of waiting!" Iggy said, getting to play a rousing game of Mario Power Tennis. The older boy glared at him as he gritted his teeth.  
**  
**"Fine! I'll give it a shot, but if I get an answering machine, you'll pay!" He snarled as he stomped towards a stand by the couch his younger brother was sitting at. Lying on top of it was a black wireless phone. Izzy snatched the phone off the hook and dug into one of the stand's drawers. He soon pulled out the Ocean Shores phonebook. He thumbed through it for a couple of minutes, during which Iggy cheered, having used his character, Bowser Jr.'s power shot to score a set against his opponent, Daisy.  
**  
**"Aha! Here it is! Sea Crest Engineer club! I hope this works." The boy switched the phone on and dialed the number. It rang three times before someone on the other end picked up.  
**  
**"_Hello?_" A nasally voice answered.  
**  
**"Uhhh... Yes, is this the Sea Crest Engineer club?"  
**  
**"_Of course this the Sea Crest Engineer club!_" The person on the other end answered rudely. A sniff was heard seconds later. "_What do you need?_"  
**  
**Izzy glared at the phone, but relaxed. He didn't need to jeopardize this. He put the phone back to his ear.  
**  
**"I need to speak with your president, Oliver Van Rossom."  
**  
**Silence, then...  
**  
**"_Why on earth are you wasting my time!? I was just about to get a plus five sword with plenty of mana when you call, asking for **him**?! You **know **Oliver has his own number, you n00b!_"  
**  
**Izzy felt a vein pop as he clenched his right fist (his left was holding the phone). He shook violently at that outburst. He gritted his teeth as his face turned red. He was so mad; he just had to bash something, which unfortunately was Iggy's head.

"Ow!!!" The boy in question yelped, rubbing the spot where hi_s_ brother got him. "What'd I do!?" He glared at Izzy, but quickly shrank back when he saw the rage in the other boy's eyes.

"N00b!?! How dare you, ya little nerd! I can care less about your dorky little PC games! Now put Oliver on this instant!!!"  
**  
**"_N00b?! You got some nerve! I bet you're one of those gamers that think **console** games rule all!_" The person on the other end said, using a disgusted tone on the word console.  
**  
**"That's because they _do_!" Izzy shouted in response. "They pwn your crappy MMORPGs any day of the week!"  
**  
**"_At least they're **online**, unlike your lousy console games!_"  
**  
**"Take that back ya little punk!" The boy was getting madder and madder by the second while Iggy was looking on with utter confusion etched on his face.  
**  
**"_Or else what!?_" The guy on the other end challenged.  
**  
**"Grrrr... Listen, I don't have time to waste on little brats like you! Now let me talk to Oliver or you'll regret it!"  
**  
**"_Yeah right! I'm not letting you talk to Oliver, you casual gamer!_"  
**  
**Izzy gasped in shock. No one, but _no one_ calls him a casual gamer and lives to tell the tale.  
**  
**"When I find you, ya nerd, you're gonna wish ya never been—"  
**  
**"_Hello? Who's this?_" A new voice said. Izzy stopped his insult and instantly slapped his hand over his mouth. The new voice belonged to none other than Oliver Van Rossom!  
**  
**"Uhhh... H-hey, Oliver..." He gulped nervously. "Th-this is Izzy Lopez..."  
**  
**"Oh man..." Iggy said, slapping his head. "Don't tell me you actually cursed _him_ out!" He laughed.  
**  
**He was instantly rewarded with another whack on the head.  
**  
**Izzy growled at him before remembering that he was still talking to the one person that can insure his victory. He quickly cleared his throat and went back to the conversation.  
**  
**"_Yes, yes. I know who you are._" Oliver's voice said. "_Would you mind telling me why you're harassing one of my associates?_"  
**  
**Izzy gulped again.  
**  
**"Y-you see, I was t-trying to contact you, but that guy answered and he was going on about some weird game he was playing."  
**  
**"_Oh he was, was he?_" The redhead asked in a tone that suggested he was glaring at the one who answered the phone earlier.  
**  
**"_B-but sir, I-I wasn't doing anything._" The boy tried nervously."_ I was—_"  
**  
**"_Save it._" Oliver interrupted. "_I told you never to play those games while you are inside this building._"  
**  
**"_B-but I—_"  
**  
**"_I'll deal with **you** later._" The redhead was heard sneering."_ And as for **you**, why did you call this number in the first place? I have my own number if you want to contact me._"  
**  
**"Now see, I didn't _know_ about this number everybody keeps talking about!" Izzy answered hotly. "It's not even listed in the phone book!"  
**  
**"_I thought I told them to put in there..._" Oliver said with a thoughtful tone. "_Anyway, what do you need?_"  
**  
**The brunet gulped. It was now or never.  
**  
**"I'll get right to the point. I need a sub. I know that since your organization does undersea exploration, you should have one or two lying around."  
**  
**"_And just what makes you think I can even **operate** a submersible?_"  
**  
**"Pfft! Don't play dumb with me, Van Rossom." Izzy scoffed, starting to feel more comfortable. "I know you also use a crew that does the work for you."  
**  
**"_Yes, I do. What I **don't** know, however, is **why** you need a submersible. I wouldn't just **lend** it to anybody unless they had a perfectly good reason._"  
**  
**The boy groaned.  
**  
**"What's wrong?" Iggy asked.  
**  
**"He's playing hardball." Izzy replied, covering the receiver with his hand. "Don't worry. I work him over." He put down his hand. "Listen, I'll tell you my reason, but you have to make sure you're alone. I don't want this to be leaked, got it?"  
**  
**There was silence on the other end for a few seconds before a sigh was heard.  
**  
**"_Very well. I'll put you on hold for a few moments._" Oliver said before a click was heard. An old song from the 80's was heard shortly after.  
**  
**"Man, leave it to a nerd to have something from the 80s as their hold music." Izzy groaned.  
**  
**"Lemme hear!" Iggy shouted, snatching the phone from his brother. He cringed as he listened to the odd music, which had lyrics that sounded like "Walk like an Egyptian."  
**  
**"See what I mean?" The older one started, yanking the phone out of his grasp. "You'd think they'd put on something from _now_!"  
**  
**"_Ok, what is it that you want the submarine for?_" Oliver's voice cut in, ending the Egyptian-sounding song.  
**  
**"Well, if you _really_ need to know, my brother and I are on a treasure hunt." Izzy answered.  
**  
**Oliver gave a flabbergasted noise.  
**  
**"_A t-treasure hunt?_" He asked, snickering lowly.  
**  
**"Yep." The other boy answered, totally ignoring the other's chuckles.  
**  
**"_Pffft! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!_"  
**  
**Izzy sweatdropped and stared at the phone in disbelief. He didn't expect_ that_ reaction.  
**  
**"Let me guess, he thinks you're making it up?" Iggy asked with a sly smirk. His brother glowered at him before putting the phone back to his ear. Oliver was still laughing it up.  
**  
**"You done yet?"  
**  
**"_Just—HAHA!!!—give me a few—HAHAHAHAHA!!!—more seconds! HAHAHAHAHA!!!!_"  
**  
**Izzy gave Iggy an irritated look as he started laughing himself. He then turned to the camera before pulling out a sign that read, "I bet you were all expecting that one, huh?"  
**  
**He then put on a glare as he put the phone back to his ear.  
**  
**"**ENOUGH!!!**" He roared. Oliver and Iggy laughed for about another minute before finally stopping to breathe.  
**  
**"_Oh my..._" The former panted, stifling small chuckles. "_That was so funny. Now, what do you **really** need?_"  
**  
**"I need the sub to hunt for treasure." Izzy said in a somewhat defeated tone.  
**  
**"_Are you serious?_" Oliver asked. It sounded like he was raising his eyebrow, which made the boy on the other end slap his forehead.  
**  
**"_Yes_, I'm serious!"  
**  
**"_You are aware that what you're suggesting is completely ludicrous, don't you?_"  
**  
**Izzy sighed.  
**  
**"Yes, I know it sounds crazy, but it's the truth. I even got a real treasure map if you need proof."  
**  
**"_And assuming this so-called treasure is real, which would be completely impossible, where do you think it's buried?_"  
**  
**The brunet had to think hard about his next response. Was Oliver just patronizing him? He shook his head. He had to go with it for the moment.  
**  
**"If I deciphered the map correctly, it should be inside a sea cave that's under the harbor." He answered.  
**  
**"_Ah, so **that's** why you need the club's submersible for!" _Oliver said in understanding. "_But still, why should I waste my time going on some wild goose chase with you and your brother?_"  
**  
**Again, Izzy let out a mournful groan. He wasn't going to do it! He tried to think of something, _any_thing he could say to save himself. He held his head for a few moments before a light bulb appeared above him. He smirked evilly as he prepared to speak.  
**  
**"Why, it's quite simple." He started. That was when he played his trump card. "Sam Dullard and his friends are preparing to go get the treasure as we speak!"  
**  
**"_Hmmmmmmm... I knew there was another motive in this._" The redhead said with an air of superiority. "_But I still need a better reason than beating our mutual rival._"  
**  
**"I'll give you a cut of the treasure." Izzy said bluntly.  
**  
**"_How much?_" The brunet suppressed a moan. He could just _hear_ the grin creeping up on his face!  
**  
**"Twenty percent." He began the haggle.  
**  
**"_Fifty._"  
**  
**Izzy faltered.  
**  
**"Thirty."  
**  
**"_Fifty._" Oliver countered.  
**  
**Izzy fell over.  
**  
**"Forty...?!" He tried feebly as he stood.  
**  
**"_Fifty. Take it or leave it._"  
**  
**The boy slapped his head, grabbed his bucket hat and tossed it onto the ground.  
**  
**"Fine! We'll split it fifty fifty!" He spat.  
**  
**"WHAT!?!" Iggy protested.  
**  
**"_Excellent. I knew you'd see things my way._" Oliver said, satisfaction dripping from his lips. "_Meet me at the docks in an hour with your maps. I'll have your submarine and crew ready._"  
**  
**"But don't you need a permit or something?" Izzy asked, placing his mangled hat back on his head.  
**  
**"_Don't worry about it._" The other boy patronized. "_I'm the president of the Sea Crest Engineer club. I don't **need** a permit in order to go exploring._"  
**  
**"Hmph. Fine. Me and my brother will meet you there. See ya later."  
**  
**"_Good bye_." Oliver said before they both hung up.  
**  
**"Izzy! Why are ya giving him fifty percent of our gold!?" Iggy shouted." I thought **I** was getting half of the loot!"  
**  
**"**Look!**" Izzy sighed irritably as he ran his hand through his hair. "We have to make _some_ sacrifices. The important thing is that we get down there first. That's all that matters!"  
**  
**"Ok..." The boy in the purple cap sighed.  
**  
**"Now c'mon!" The older sibling said, grabbing his helmet, pads, and a backpack, which he had placed the maps and the gold mushroom in. "We gotta meet Oliver at the docks in an hour."  
**  
**"Alright..." Iggy said, grabbing his gear. "What are we using?"  
**  
**"Our bikes." Izzy answered, walking over to the front door. "It'll be faster and safer than using our boards or blades."

Nothing more was said as the brothers walked into the nearby garage. Inside was a pair of mountain bikes. One red, the other blue. Iggy took the red one while Izzy got on the blue one. They then rode off to the pier, all set to find their treasure.


	8. The Rivals Plot

The Elusive Treasure 

Chapter Eight

The Rivals Plot

As he started up his vehicle, Lou glanced over at Scotty, noting his beaming expression. "You've been looking _forward_ to something like this, haven't you?"  
**  
**"Sure have!" Scotty replied grinning with an enthusiastic nod. "I've been waiting to do this for a long time!"  
**  
**"But you never thought it'd be so close to home, didja?" replied Lou, as he eased his truck and tailored boat onto the boulevard. Breezy and the others followed in her "big rig" towing that big old boat. "I mean, you always hear of stuff like that turning up in the Caribbean or the South Seas. But right here in the middle of suburbia? Who would have known?  
**  
**"Yeah, talk about your strange occurrences." Scotty agreed. "Think Lars and those punks will try anything to stop us?"  
**  
**"Good point, bud. They're probably still trying to get their act together. Or, they might have tried themselves already, with a grungy old runabout and substandard gear", Lou replied. He picked up the microphone. "Green Machine, this is Red Rover. Will be pulling into the Arco here to check fuel for the boat, will continue on to the launching ramp in a few," he advised.  
**  
**"_Red Rover, Green Machine_," Breezy's voice came over the CB. "_Sounds like a plan. Will do the same for my boat, and pick up some grub for the troops before we move out._"  
**  
**They pulled in to the gas station and gassed up the Whaler's fuel canister. Lou went to speak to Breezy and the others. "We'll continue on now, and will wait at the site for you to catch up with us."  
**  
**"You guys be careful. See ya in a few!" said Breezy as the others waved a greeting.  
**  
**Lou got back in and resumed their drive towards the harbor. "You've been unusually quiet, bud," Lou noted. "What's on your mind?"  
**  
**"Well... I was just thinking... How deep do you think we'd have to go?"  
**  
**"Well, the chart says the depths for the area in question start at 12 feet, and go down to 27 feet, so our air should last an hour or more, depending on what we need to do. Remember when we were checking out that reef at the Flats? That was deeper than this, and we were down there for over an hour!"  
**  
**"Oh yeah! Almost forgot about that!" Scotty replied, breathing a sigh of relief. "So as long as we don't have to do too much, we shouldn't have any problems."  
**  
**"Exactly. And if we need to get more bottom time, we could use the Whaler to head over to the dive shop on the Embarcadero and get refills, then go back down at our leisure."  
**  
**"Great. Now all that's left to do is find the treasure." Scott held a hand to his chin. "I wonder how much it weighs... We'll probably have to use a crane or something to fish it out."  
**  
**"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. That's why we've got lift-bags that you can fill from your secondary mouthpiece. Remember when I recovered that motorcycle that had fallen off the Pacific Avenue Bridge?" Lou replied. "Iused a lift bag," he said, smiling.  
**  
**"Yeah, I remember that certificate Shirley gave you. You sure saved her that time!" Scott said, smirking at Lou.  
**  
**"Well, here we are," Lou noted, as he pulled his vehicle onto the boat-launch. Carefully he made a U-turn at the water's edge and backed the trailer into the water next to a wooden quay, then parked the vehicle and set the brake.  
**  
**Breezy came along just a few moments later, and expertly backed her boat into the water on the other side. Eagerly all the kids piled out and assisted with final preparations to set out on their expedition.  
**  
**"Hey, what's that over there?" Scott said, pointing to his left. Everybody turned and saw a group of people standing on a dock. In the water nearby was what seemed to be a submarine. It was a bright yellow color with several windows including a roundish one in the front. The hatch was open and people were coming in and out of it, carrying boxes of various sizes. The crew was a mix of adults and kids. From what everyone could tell, there were two bikes parked nearby. Two members of the crew seemed to be in the middle of a conversation. A third member was standing nearby.  
**  
**"That looks like a sub from Sea Crest." Sam commented. "I guess Oliver must be doing some expedition. He shouldn't bother us."  
**  
**"But Izzy Lopez is with 'em" Otto pointed out. "What might they be up to?"  
**  
**"Who knows?" Reggie shrugged.  
**  
**"Whatever they're doing, it looks like he's got some kind of paper with him." Twister pointed out. Indeed, from what they could tell, the elder Lopez Brother was reading some sort of brownish paper.  
**  
**"It's nothing Twist!" Otto scoffed.  
**  
**"I don't know..." Scott said, rubbing his chin. "Whatever he's looking at, it seems important."  
**  
**"What do you mean?" Rod asked him.  
**  
**"Look closely."  
**  
**"Relax people!" urged Lou. "Let's not get in a panic," he said, handing Rod a small pair of binoculars.  
**  
**The boy focused their attention on the brunet, who just pushed his little brother away. Iggy was trying to take a look at whatever Izzy was reading.  
**  
**Twister took up his camera, and engaged the zoom.  
**  
**The bigger brother soon turned his back towards him. The redhead was then able to see part of Izzy's sheet. He was just barely able to make out...a red X?!  
**  
**"Dudes!" He gasped as he put down the camera. "He's holding a treasure map!"  
**  
**"WHAT!?!" Everybody else shouted.  
**  
**"Twister's right!" Rod acknowledged, putting down the binoculars. "He _does_ have a treasure map!"  
**  
**"No way! He can't be after the same treasure!" Otto exclaimed.  
**  
**"Maybe he's going after some other treasure...?" Breezy offered.  
**  
**"It's too hard to tell from here." Twister said, looking through the camera again.  
**  
**"Somebody has to go and get a closer look." Reggie said.  
**  
**"I'll go!" Rod volunteered, raising his hand.  
**  
**Everybody raised an eyebrow at him.  
**  
**"Are you sure you want to do that?" Sam asked. "You don't know what he's capable of. If they catch you—"

Before he can finish, Roderick stepped out of the Whaler and walked casually on the pier. He made sure nobody saw him and quietly arrived by a crate near the place the Lopez Brothers were standing. Roderick crouched behind the crate and eavesdropped on the two boys.  
**  
**Izzy was talking with Oliver, and were having an argument about a certain piece of paper, while Iggy witnessed the verbal confrontation, watching alternatively each of the kids.

"I tell, you, Oliver!! The treasure must be somewhere in this area! I made all the calculations, and I _know_ the chest must have sunk here!"  
**  
**"Pffft! What do you _know_ about the bottom of this harbor, Lopez?? Believe me, there are no caves in that area you're marking. Just a flat sandy bottom. I've been there countless times! The only caves are located about 20 or 30 meters north of this place"  
**  
**"Ok, maybe I'm a bit off target here; but we can make a pass over the bottom with that sub and look for caverns or holes, right?"  
**  
**"That we can do, _if_ we hurry. The tide is about to change, Izzy"- said Oliver, looking his watch.  
**  
**"Is it?" - said Izzy, looking at the sea (nearly seeing Roderick, who quickly ducked behind the crate). "I don't see a change..."  
**  
**"What a shoobie..." - said Oliver, rolling his eyes.  
**  
**"WHAT???" - roared Izzy.  
**  
**"Just look at the water lever on the pier, genius! See how it's been slowly crawling up from the lowest towards the uppermost mark on those logs??"  
**  
**"Ah. I see..." Izzy climbed on the crate to have a clearer look at the rising tide, giving Rod a chance to look at the map on his hand.  
**  
**Roderick gasped; it was a perfect copy of _their_ map! But there was no other copy of the scroll when they found the chest. How could Izzy get this document?? He had no time to wonder; Izzy stepped down off the crate and went to the sub, where Oliver was finishing preparations. They were about to launch the sub, and Roderick knew he had to hurry. He waited until the coast was clear, and hurried towards the ship. But as he neared the pier, he noticed a group of teenagers, walking decidedly towards him.

Roderick recognized them immediately, in spite of their strange clothes; they were Lars and his goon squad. Rod didn't want to be caught - Something told him he better stay out of the Lasers' sight, so he made a quick dive and hid behind a bench, just in time. Fortunately, none of the teens saw him, and they sat right on the bench.  
**  
**"This was a very good idea, Lieutenant Piston" - said Lars, with a deep, scary voice. It was not his usual voice; it sounded... weird, scary.  
**  
**Rod looked at them carefully. They were all dressed like pirates, and Lars was even wearing a black patch over his left eye. He was giving instructions to his crew.  
**  
**"That dream was a revelation, guys. After that, I knew the meaning of this map, and knew right off the bat where the treasure was. And seeing Piston execute my dorky brother was really exciting..."  
**  
**Roderick gasped. He couldn't believe what he was hearing! _"I better try to find out what these guys are up to"_ - thought Roderick. He peeked carefully over the bench and to his surprise he saw that Lars was holding yet _another_ copy of the map!! _"What the..."_ - he thought – _"And where did he get that map??"_  
**  
**"Now, this is the plan, guys: We'll let the Rocket dorks do the search and find the treasure, and when they hoist the chest on board, we'll board them and force them to surrender it to us. If they don't...." Lars gave a frightful laugh that made Roderick feel cold in his bones. This _was_ Lars, but he wasn't the same Lars he knew. Something _strange_ had happened to him. The look on his eyes was frightening; it was...  
**  
**... like... like _some**thing**_ had possessed him and was in control of him!!  
**  
**"Everything is ready, captain" - said Pi - "I got a vessel that can get close to the dorks without them noticing. It's an old barge used to clean the undersides of ships; just the kind of ship you can find on a harbor like this."  
**  
**"Excellent. Let's get moving, gentlemen. We have a treasure to recover." Lars and his crew stood and walked towards the old wharves; near the place they had rented their boat from that old fishmonger, Harris.  
**  
**_"Whoa... this is heavy!!"_ - thought Roderick, seeing the goon squad as they walked away - _"I'd better warn Lou and the gang. We might have some action in store!"_ Roderick stood when he was sure nobody could see him and started running at full speed towards the ship.


	9. The Dive

The Elusive Treasure 

Chapter Nine 

The Dive

Roderick was heading back to the dock at a dead run, his face as white as a sheet - pale, even for Roderick. Lou and Breezy had already parked their vehicles in the upslope lot, but they were still at the docks with their boats. The gang was preparing to sail. Nervously he ran to Breezy and Lou, and bluntly reported, "Lars has finally** flipped! **He is...well, _not himself, _and he and his homeboys are dressed up like eighteenth century pirates, and they mean to steal the treasure from us and ...uh, threaten us with bodily harm if we resist."

"Those **_twerps!_**" Reggie hissed, as Breezy frowned.

Twister developed a frightened expression on his face. He went to talk to Roderick. "I had a very bad dream last night where Lars and his goombahs were pirates, and they ...killed me," Twist explained.

"Whoa! I can't believe it, dude!" The pale kid stopped to catch his breath as the others gathered 'round. "Interestingly enough," continued Rod, "Lars told his goombahs of a dream** _he_ **had last night where he and the Lasers killed** you **for not revealing the location of the treasure."

Twister got pale. "That's- _exactly_ what happened last night, Rod!"

"You don't say!" exclaimed Rod, incredulous.

"So it's like Lars and I had _the same dream,_ but each from his own cam- uh, point of view?_ This is creeping me out!_" Otto laid a hand on Twister's shoulder to steady him, physically as well as emotionally.

"There are forces at work here beyond our understanding," cautioned Rod. "Everybody, be prepared to protect yourself or the others at any time!"

Lou handed Scott his car keys. "Go get the OC spray, and our cell phones." Scott nodded and dashed off, and was back in a flash with the required items.

"Izzy and those guys are preparing to leave!" Otto pointed out towards the area where the Sea Crest crew were casting off.

"So should we," said Sam as he ticked off the final part of a checklist. Then the two boats with their total of eight people cast off and motored towards the coordinates Sam specified on the map.

It was a very long few minutes to the dive site, 'til the GPS units confirmed the boats' arrival. They anchored there and both Lou and Breezy raised over their boats a red flag with a white diagonal stripe - a warning that diving operations were being conducted in the area, and that other boat traffic should keep clear of their position; it carried the same moral imperative as a circle of orange cones over an open ditch in the roadway where men might be working.

"We need to get somebody in the water -_ now!_"- urged Reggie - "even just snorkeling, probably to satisfy some obscure legal requirement or something - to checkmate those guys in the sub."

Otto was only too happy to oblige. Already stripped to his trunks, he put on a mask and a pair of flippers, and rolled off the side. He bobbed up to take several quick, deep breaths, then headed for the bottom.

The water as the tide just started to come in was crystal clear; this undeveloped part of the harbor was full of sea grass and fishes, and there were several interesting rock formations. Otto finned for the bottom of one such formation that presided over a deep, sandy bottom. He turned, and beheld the imposing, shadowy maw of a cavern. For an instant, he knelt on the bottom, hanging onto a few strands of sea grass as he gazed within, then, gripped with curiosity, swam inside. A few meters inside from the lip of the cavern, just before an area of total darkness, lay something most curious and unexpected on the stony bottom: an iron horseshoe. Otto grabbed it, turned around...

...and had to go back up for air. He broke the surface bellowing "_**Yeaaah**_"

"What's it like, Otto?" asked Breezy.

"You have clear water here, and an open door. Scotty was _right_ about this area being above water in the past," Otto reported, brandishing the horseshoe. "I found this horseshoe a little ways into the cavern!" Lou, Scott, and Breezy were on the swim step, checking the breathing functions of their gear, and then the trio entered the water as Otto watched from the surface. The hail of bubbles that floated up as the divers passed underneath him bathed him in a funny fizz as he felt a bump from his side. Otto turned, and looked into the begoggled eyes of Roderick, who smiled back at him. He as well wanted to watch the stuff that was going on down below.

* * *

Scotty signaled Lou to switch on his wrist light, which he did, and Scotty did likewise. Breezy handed Lou her underwater metal detector, already powered up. Clutching the guide line, Lou led as he and Scotty began to explore the cave.

Onboard Breezy's boat, the fivesome were now - quietly and excitedly - putting on wetsuits, because even if checking out this one location turned out to be a dud, according to Sammy, there were two more (but less likely) possibilities close by within a stone's throw of where they were sitting, and there would be plenty of opportunity for the kids to all get in the water. And even if the whole exercise there turned out to be a dud, a "plan B" possibility had been discussed by Breezy of visiting a nearby artificial reef that had been made out of sections of ten foot wide cement drainpipes.

Lou had just stepped foot into the cave and swam round a corner in the flashlight-lit darkness when Scott heard a strange rumbling noise. He looked up to see a bunch of heavy rocks falling; before he even had a chance to react, he and Lou were separated by a wall of boulders.

Lou felt a sudden tug down on the safety line. He looked behind him, but was then forced down by something; he felt a sharp pain in his left leg, and then on his head before everything went black.

Breezy perceived a rumbling from where she stood holding the reel just outside the lip of the cavern, She turned her head towards the noise, only to be almost bumped into by a wide-eyed and nervous Scotty amid the cloud of dust expelled in the incident.

"Something's wrong - you - get help - urgent!" the boy signed, excitably. "I - stay - dig."

Breezy felt her pulse and blood pressure rise._ 'Is Lou still alive?' _she found herself wondering. "OK," she signed towards Scotty. "You - stay - dig; I - get help - urgent - OK?"

"OK," replied Scotty by hand signal, as he swam back into the cloud of dust, towards the trouble. Breezy headed for the surface.

Twister was watching the surface intently as Breezy broke the surface at the stern of the boat.

"Guys," she gasped, "we have a serious problem and I need everybody's help." Everybody quieted down and stepped towards the back of the boat. "There's been a cave-in, and Lou is trapped behind some rocks," she reported. To prevent the kids from going into panic mode, she added quickly: "We're sure that Lou is still alive, because we can hear him breathing. Scotty is safe and right now he's trying to dig towards him. This happened moments after they went into the cavern, so Lou should have plenty of air, but we're gunna need more help to dig him out..."

The kids all went to put on their scuba gear, but Breezy raised her voice a bit. "Not you, Reggie. We need somebody to call the lifeguards and tell them what's happened when they get here. Turn my VHF radio to Channel 16 and put out a mayday call...Guys! Remember to check your air and bring gloves and flashlights-" Breezy shouted, just before hearing four large splashes from up forward. Putting her mouthpiece back in her mouth, she submerged and followed Otto, Twister, Sammy, and Roderick down towards the cavern.

* * *

Awakened by the sound of his own bubbles, Lou took a moment to get his bearings. There was a throbbing pain in his left leg and everything was dark. He was continuing to breathe. He tried to reactivate the light on his wrist, only to find that it was useless, probably shattered. _'Oh, great,'_ he thought to himself. He felt with his hands for the calf of his left leg - where he kept his diver's knife, which could be used to bang against the side of his tank like a bell - and found that it was inaccessible, firmly wedged under some rocks. The luminescent dial of the air gauge told him he still had a good amount of air.

'_The others certainly know by now that I'm trapped, but I have to tell them I'm not dead._'

Unable to reach his knife, Lou felt around himself and found a loose rock. He banged it against the side of his tank, and the strike made a dull ringing noise. He hit again. And again. And again. And after a few minutes of repeated hitting, he saw light coming through as a pair of hands reached in, removing a stone. Then, a few minutes later, there were more hands...

* * *

Reggie stood for a few seconds -_ "...five Mississippi" _- then took a breath and grabbed the microphone. "Mayday mayday mayday," she began, reading from a placard screwed into the upholstery. "This is Skipjack, charlie alpha, zero eight one six, kilo charlie, at" - she groped for a modern map and looked carefully at her surroundings - "city map... L-10 in the channel of Ocean Shores Marina, by red buoy number 6. There's a scuba diver trapped in an underwater rockslide in a cavern here. We think he's alive, and there's six more divers down there right now trying to get him out...Over!" She released the button.

In a short moment, there came a response."_Six kilo charlie, this is Ocean Shores Dispatch. Question: confirm your location as... city map, lima one zero, by red buoy number six, in the channel? Over,_"answered the clear, Commonwealth-accented voice of a young man who sounded vaguely familiar. But right now, Reg couldn't quite say who, and didn't much care.

"Yeah, uh, Dispatch, this is... six kilo charlie," Reg answered, looking again at the placard. "that's... _affirmative... _affirmative. Over."

"_Skipjack six kilo charlie, this is Dispatch. Help is on the way, luv. Monitor this frequency, and remain topside at your location to inform responders. Dispatch clear,_"the voice concluded. Shortly after she put the microphone on its hook, Reggie could hear sirens approaching from one, then two, distant directions.

Back underwater, Breezy and the boys devoted their energies to the obvious and hopefully not grim task at hand of rescuing Lou. Scotty clearly felt much better about the situation now that he had help alongside him. They were making gradual progress against this pile of rocks. Otto took a moment to check the pressure remaining in his air tank, which was 2600 psi. The others did the same, and it was discovered that Scotty, who'd been enduring very hard work for somewhat longer, had less than 500 psi in his tank.

"You - go - bye-bye - up; OK?" Otto urged Scotty, gesturing towards the cavern exit.

"OK - bye-bye" signed Scotty, as he reluctantly left, knowing however that he_ needed _to do so, given his reduced air supply. The others continued removing boulders and laying them aside, momentarily distracted by a very bright flashlight being shined into the cave.

It was carried by one of three large adult men in diving gear: one in a red and white striped tank top and camo trunks needed no introduction, and everyone else there also immediately recognized Raymundo Rocket and Tito Makani Jr. The men motioned everyone else to form a line from there to the mouth of the cavern; as they continued taking down the wall, each person on the line passed the rocks one to another, putting them outside. Within a few moments, a slate was passed back with a message:

_NEED TO CHECK LOU. GOT A GOOD SIZE HOLE NOW, BUT OTTO TOO BIG._

The slate stopped at Roderick, who dropped what he was doing and immediately swam forward. Tice and Ray helped Rod through a hole they'd made between the ceiling and the top of the pile. Rod turned on his light and descended into the enclosed space. Lou lay on his back, breathing but "not quite 100 there." Rod checked Lou's air gauge: 2000 psi, he'd breathed off about a third of his air.

He tapped Lou on the shoulder. The teen opened up his eyes; a smile formed around his mouthpiece. Lou moved his hand slowly, gently scratching the young Dutchman's head; Rod responded with the signals "Question - OK?" to which Lou answered "OK."

Lou noticed the white plastic slate tucked in Rod's equipment straps, and took it. He erased it and wrote:

_LEFT LEG STUCK BROKE. I LOVE MY RENTS GF TO PIECES. THE TRUCK CAN GO TO SCOTT, U UR FRIENDS CAN HAVE THE STUFF IN MY ROOM.  
_  
and handed it back to Rod. Rod shook his head and wrote back:

_DON'T BE SILLY. YOU WILL LIVE. WE WILL BRING YOU A SHACK BURGER THE HOSPITAL. DO YOU WANT ME TO STAY WITH YOU?  
_  
To which Lou replied:  
_  
I'LL BE FINE. YOU GET BACK TO WORK AND GET ME OUT OF HERE, K?  
_  
Rod wrote a notation on the slate, and wiggled his fingers at Lou, who weakly replied likewise. The hole had been made somewhat bigger now, and he swam out through it. As he emerged, he handed Tice the slate, pointing to something he'd written:

_LOU CONSHUS BUT VARIABLE, LEFT LEG STUCK, PROBLY BROKEN. HIS AIR 2000.  
_  
Tice winked approval of Rod's "good job" and passed the slate down the line with another notation: _CHECK AIR, GO TO SURFACE IF LESS THAN 500.  
_  
Otto, Twister, and Breezy had 300 psi apiece, so they left the scene as more professional rescue divers arrived to take up the slack. The others had enough air for the time being. When they broke the surface at Breezy's boat, the area had all the qualities of a major disaster scene. A fireboat and two lifeguard vessels had arrived, police kept watch from the shore keeping onlookers at bay, and a media helicopter circled overhead. Scotty and Reggie helped her brother, Twister, and Breezy into the boat and out of their diving gear.

"How is Lou?" asked Scotty, worried and obviously exhausted.

"They got a hole into where he is," Otto reported. "I was too big for Ray and Tice to stuff me through, but Rod wasn't. Lou's leg is stuck and probably broken, but his air's holding up okay."

"Rod and the Squid are still down there helping the others, but I think they'll be coming up in just a little bit," Twister added.

"Somehow I wish I hadn't pushed this treasure quest so hard," Otto ruminated. "If I hadn't gotten this idea, none of this would have happened..."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Ottoman," consoled Scotty. "Last night, Lou told me he'd thought about rushing off in the dead of night to dive for the treasure all by himself. We talked about it for over an hour, and I was able to talk him down out of it. I tell ya, keepin' up with that guy can be a labor of Hercules - sometimes he's even more like you than _you!" _he commented with half a giggle.

"That wouldn't have been such a good idea," Twister observed.

"Anyway," Scotty sighed, "you guys are wonderful. That we did what we could for him probably improved his chances sevenfold." Scott threw his arms around the others then present, sobbing with exhaustion.

"It's okay, Scotty," added Breezy. "It was a total accident."

"Yeah. We've had any number of close calls," Reg added, "being missed by a falling tree in the forest, fighting your way out of a snowdrift, having a board disappear under a passing truck... some think it's just reminders from the big boy upstairs to respect your life and be good to each other."

"I know._ Everything _you do poses some risk," Otto said. "Even - and, I think_ especially _- staying inside and being a total couch potato. Life is about what you can _do_ with it."


	10. A Startling Revelation

The Elusive Treasure

Chapter Ten

A Revelation

_Meanwhile, inside the sub...  
_  
"Just think, Iggy, we're so _close_!" Izzy cackled as he paced around the captain's quarters. "In a few short moments, we'll reach the cave and **claim our treasure**!"

"Yay!" Iggy cheered, looking up from his Game Boy Advance, which he brought with him.

The room was spacious and luxurious for the size of the submarine. A velvet carpet covered the cold steel floor. A desk, some office chairs, and a bookshelf were situated on the western wall. A sofa, which the younger of the two siblings was sitting in, was placed opposite the desk. To the brunet's left was the room's only door, which led to the main hall of the sub. On his left was a small circular window which the depths of the harbor were seen out of.

Fish swam past it as the scenery outside went lower and lower with each passing second.

"Ahhhh... I can't wait 'til I get my hands on all that gold!" The older brother shouted with glee. "I'll never have to wait months to buy new games ever again! I can just buy them as soon as they come out or even pre-order them!"

He pumped his fist at that one.

"Uh-huh... Whatever..." Iggy mumbled as he continued playing.

"And of course, we can also get tons of great gear! I'll be unstoppable on the half-pipe and can finally destroy that blond nit-wit the next time we have a competition!"

"Hmmm-mmmm..." The smaller brunet hummed, still not paying attention.

"Needless to say, we'll be famous as well!" Izzy continued his greed-filled rant. "I can see the headlines now. 'Ultra-cool Gamer and Brother Beats Blond Fool to the Gold!'" He shivered. "Ooooohhh... I like the sound of that!"

"Yeah, yeah..."

"And let's not forget the screaming fans, the glitz, the glamour, the—" He couldn't finish for the room shook, sending both boys to the floor. Izzy growled as he sat up. "Ugh! What happened!.?"

"Awwwwwwwww!.!.!.! I lost my last life!" Iggy whined.

"_Forget _about that! Why'd we _stop_!.?" The older one stood up and dusted himself off. He looked around at the mess until his eyes settled on the window. He gasped. The background was going _up_!.?.!

"What the—!.?.! We're _surfacing_!.?.!"

"We're moving up?" Iggy asked as he stood up and turned off his Game Boy.

"How perceptive of you." Izzy said sarcastically, crossing his arms. "Of_ course _we're going up! I'm gonna give Oliver a piece of my mind. He**_ BETTER _**have a good reason for this!"

He stomped towards the door. He was about to turn the knob when he stopped and walked back to Iggy.

"I don't know why I'm doing this, but listen up!" He started. "I'm gonna go to the control room and deal with Van Rossom. I'm leaving you in charge of the map." He pointed towards a corner of the room by the window, where his backpack was. "Guard it with your **life**!" He barked at the younger boy. "No one but **_me_** is to come near that bag, understood?"

"Yeah, yeah. I gotcha." Iggy replied dismissively. Izzy grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him towards him.

"Listen, I have come too far to let things get screwed up because of you!" He hissed. "Don't let anybody touch that bag while I'm gone! Got it!.?"

"G-g-got it..." His brother stuttered frightfully.

"Good." Izzy said before shoving him away. Iggy landed on the floor. "I'll be right back!" He stormed out of the room and slammed the door.

"Aw man..." Iggy sniffled as he stood up. "He didn't have to be so mean about it..." He wiped his eyes. "I heard him the first time..."

He dusted himself off and moved to the sofa. He sat down and sank into it. He looked down sorrowfully.

'_Why can't he ever be nice to me...?_'_  
_  
He really should've been used to it by now. Iggy was always being pushed around by his older brother. It's been that way for as long as he could remember. It's been like that ever since he can walk. Izzy would always command him to do something and he'd do it without any question. But whenever it was done, the older brother would just have another order ready for him. But did he ever get a "Thank you?" Did he ever get a "Nice job, Iggy?" Did he ever get a hug or a handshake?.! No. All he got was just another order or a smack upside the head if he ever made a mistake. Things have only been made worse after Izzy and Sam became rivals. His brother was obsessed with beating the blond. So much so that he often forced Iggy to do some of the weirdest things to make life miserable for Sam. They were mainly small pranks like "Throw a water balloon at him!", or "Stick this 'Kick me' sign on him!", or even "Dig that trap already!" Of course, nearly all of those pranks backfired and he paid the price for it.

Iggy knew the blame lied in Sam. He knew that if Izzy ever successfully defeated the blond, he'd be happy and that means that he, Iggy, wouldn't have to suffer anymore. Despite that knowledge, he doesn't want to hurt Sam.

He just wanted to befriend the blond and his friends. He wanted to skate with them, impress them, and maybe even learn some new tricks. He wanted to have sleepovers and be invited to the victory parties that were often thrown at the Shack

But alas, it was not to be. As long as Izzy was his brother and he was still rivals with Sam, Iggy was forever stuck. Never to have any fun. Always playing the pawn in his sibling's plans. Always suffering the abuse and the fights.

But it was better than nothing. ...Right?

"Man..." He sniffled, rubbing his tear-filled eyes again. "I want Izzy to be nice. Just forget this stupid rivalry and be friends with Sam." He shook his head. "Yeah right. He'll never be satisfied." He sniffed. "At least not until he beats him in something. Like that'll ever happen."

But then he had a thought.

"What if Izzy actually gets the treasure?" He grinned. "Yeah! If he gets it, he would've officially beaten Sam!"

He jumped and clenched his fists as his grin grew wider.

"And then he'll be happy and I can actually be friends with them!"

"That does it!" He said with a determined expression on his face. "I'm gonna put one hundred percent into helping Izzy find that treasure! That way he won't be Sam's rival anymore!"

He paced around the room the same way Izzy was a few moments ago.

"Yeah! I can't wait until we get to that cave!" He cheered.

"**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIgggggggggyyyyyyyyyy...**" A strange voice echoed in the room, interrupting the boy's celebration. He stopped and looked around.

"Who's there!.?" He shouted. "I'm not supposed to let anybody touch Izzy's bag! So go away!"

"**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIgggggggggyyyyyyyyyy...**" The voice called again."**Look in the bag...**"

Iggy shivered in fright as he continued to look for the source of the voice. There was nobody else in the room with him. He was all alone.

"C-c-c-come o-o-o-o-out already..." He tried to remain brave, but that was getting increasing difficult.

"**The bag... _Look in the bag..._**"

Iggy paled as he slowly turned towards the backpack in the room. He gulped as he took a step towards it.

"**Yesssssss****... Come closer...**" The voice tempted. Iggy shook with fright as he continued taking slow steps towards the backpack. "**Closer... Closer...**"

Iggy soon reached the bag. He trembled and made an inaudible whimper as he noticed a faint golden glow emanated from the flap on the main pocket.

"**That's it... Closer...**"

With a trembling hand and a final gulp, the boy slowly lifted the flap, allowing golden light to radiate all over the room. Covering his eyes with his right hand, he plunged his left hand into the pocket until he felt something warm. With a dry throat, he gripped the warmth and retracted his hand. He put down his right hand and looked at his other hand. He noticed light coming from the tiny gaps between each of his fingers. Despite the warmth of the object he held in his hand, his teeth were chattering. He licked his dry lips as he tried to make sense of what was going on.

"**Open your hand...**" The voice pierced his ears again.

'_How did I know he was gonna say that?_' Iggy thought as he pulled his hand towards him. He shrugged. '_Oh well... I've lived a full life, right?_' He sweatdropped he realized how much of a lie that was. '_Well..._' He started, shutting his eyes. '_Here goes!_'

He opened his hand fully. An unknown amount of time passed as everything was silent. Was it a few seconds? A minute? A day? However long he stood there, it felt like an eternity. Slowly he opened his eyes and faced his open palm. He was holding the golden mushroom he and Izzy found in the forest. It was glowing brightly.

"Ooooohhh..." He said in awe. "It's pretty."

He didn't have enough time to admire it for the glowing intensified until a blinding white light engulfed him.

Elsewhere...

"Oooohhh... When I get my hands on him..." Izzy growled as he passed sailors of differing sizes. They all saluted him as he stomped past, not even acknowledging them.

"He **_better_** have a good reason for resurfacing, or else I'll drive this thing into that **_cave_**!"

Izzy soon reached the door to the submarine's control room. Unlike the door to the captain's quarters, which was a small metal hatch, it was a huge metal door. It was at least twice his size. Scowling dangerously, he gripped the circular handle and turned it clockwise until it creaked open, granting him entrance. He stepped through the doorway and shut the hatch.

Inside, the control room consisted of navigational computers, a wheel for which to steer the sub, and a large half-sphere-shaped glass serving as the window. Izzy had a clear view of the boats belonging to Lou and Breezy.

A fireboat and two lifeguard vessels were nearby and a newscopter was flying over the scene. It looked absolutely chaotic. The brunet's scowl deepened when he noticed that Oliver, who was standing at the helm, and the crew members stationed in the room were staring at the scene in utter confusion.

"Alright, Van Rossom!" He started, breaking the silence in the room. "I demand to know why you resurfaced! We should've arrived at that cave by now!"

"Are you blind!.?" Oliver snapped, turning towards him. "There's a _crisis_ out there!"

Izzy crossed his arms. "And your point?"

"My point is, due to a cave-in down there, all activity on the marina has been suspended!"

"A cave-in?" The dark haired boy glowered. "Dullard... He _knew_ I was getting close, so he _set this up_!"

Oliver gaped at him. "He would _never_ stoop so low as to trap one of his friends down there!" He defended. Izzy blinked in response.

"Somebody's _trapped_ down there?"

"Duh!" The redhead slapped his forehead. "Why _else_ would they suspend all activity!.?"

The brunet grunted in response.

"Just _perfect_! They'll be here _all day_!"He threw his hands up. He sighed tiredly and held his forehead. "Fine... We might as well go back home and do this tomorrow. If someone's trapped down there and hurt, Blondie will no doubt decide to wait 'til tomorrow to try again."

Oliver nodded, glad that the other boy understood the severity of the situation.

"Very well. I'll dock the sub and we'll wait 'til tomorrow to go back down there."He said, adjusting his glasses.

"I'll just go get Iggy." And with that, Izzy left the room.

-—-—-—-

Back with Iggy...

_"Wh-wh-wh-where am I!.?.!" The boy cried fearfully. _

He was standing in the middle of a field much like the one Izzy was in before. It was dark. The moon and stars were nowhere to be found in the inky black sky. All around him were dead trees. The ground was just dirt. Nothing grew out of it.

Iggy shook with pure fear as a moan echoed throughout the area.

**"Do not let the pirate with the missing tooth reach the treasure..."**He gasped. That was same voice from earlier!

"Wh-what d-d-did y-you s-s-s-say...?"

What sounded like a slap on the head was heard. **"Do not let the pirate with the missing tooth reach the treasure..." **The voice repeated.  
**  
**_Iggy raised an eyebrow in response. "Uhhh... **What** pirate?"  
_**  
**_A low cursing was heard shortly after.  
_**  
_"For the love of—! The one you call Lars!.!.!"_**_ The voice boomed.  
_**  
**_"Ohhhhh! Ok!" Iggy grinned. He then blinked. "How come you don't want Lars to reach the treasure first?"  
_**  
_"Finally! We're getting somewhere!"_**_ The voice said before the sound of a throat clearing was heard. **"Inside the Cajon de la Esperanza is a dangerous object. If the one you call Lars finds it, a terrible darkness will walk the earth again."**  
_  
_"Th-that sounds scary..." Iggy shuddered before blinking. "Does it?"  
_**  
_"Ugh!" _**_The voice groaned. **"Why did I have to get stuck with the idiots?"**  
_**  
**_"Hey! Who are **you** calling an idiot!.?" The brunet demanded.  
**  
"Why couldn't I be picked up by the blond one?"** The voice muttered. **"Look, you can't let the pirate reach the treasure first. In order to save everyone, you must claim the treasure."**  
**  
**"Ok, I gotcha." Iggy nodded. "Don't let Lars get the treasure or else the dark thingy will come up." He blinked for the third time. "Hey, if it's underwater, how is Lars supposed to do whatever it is that would happen?"  
**  
"Ummm... Let me think about that..." **The voice answered. **"Hmmmm... BECAUSE HE'S POSSESSED BY AN EVIL SPIRIT!.!.!.!.!"** _

At that very moment, the most horrible thing the boy has ever seen before him appeared. Like with Izzy, it was a giant, four-armed skeleton that had a rusty sword in all but one hand. In the remaining one was a hook.

Iggy gave a blood curdling scream when he looked at its skull. Its eyes were two fiery red orbs that pierced the kid's very soul. A torn and tattered pirate's hat topped it all off. To his extreme fright, the skeleton made to attack him! It drew closer and closer with its blades held out...

-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-

_SLAM!_

"Iggy! _Let's go_!" Izzy yelled as he walked inside the room. "Thanks to Blondie, we gotta wait 'til tomorrow before we can—Huh!" He gasped when he saw his brother standing by the backpack, the mushroom clasped in his hand.

"What do you think you're doing!.? Drop that mushroom!" He demanded, storming over to him. When he reached Iggy, he stood in front of him. "I said _drop it!.!.!_ ...Huh?" He blinked as he studied his sibling. Iggy's face was completely pale. His eyes were wide open and unblinking, as if he was in a trance. There was a faint golden glow in his eyes. His mouth was agape.

"Iggy? Hello..." Izzy said, waving his hand in front of the other boy's face. No reaction. "You in there? Yoo-hoo..." He snapped his fingers. Nothing. Izzy glared at him. "_Hey!_ Get up already!"

He poked his forehead. Iggy's stiff and frozen body fell backwards. The kid didn't even blink. The older brother gulped as the color drained from his face.

"I-Iggy...?" He knelt down beside him and shook him gently. "Wake up. This ain't funny, ya know..." He shook him as hard as he could, until it looked like he was playing with a life-sized rag doll. Iggy didn't budge.

"Uh-oh..." He started sweating. "I gotta get help!" He shot up and ran to the door of the room. "Hang on, Iggy! I'll get you to the hospital!" And with that, he ran out of the room in search of the submarine's doctors.


	11. A Successful Rescue

The Elusive Treasure  


Chapter Eleven  


A Successful Rescue

_Back at the surface..._

The gang's reverie was broken a few moments later by the patter of Sammy and Roderick, as they emerged from the water at the swim-step on the stern of Breezy's boat. Scotty and Twister helped the two boys aboard, as they unstrapped and lowered their aqualungs to the deck. "Any word?" Reggie asked as Otto passed around candy bars and soda pop to everyone on board.

"Lou's gunna be fine," reported Rod. "They'll be bringing him up any minute." That news made everyone much happier.

Sure enough, the other rescuers broke the surface in the minute that followed, with Lou in tow. Tice gave a thumbs-up to the few onlookers on shore, who applauded as the blue-capped teen weakly wiggled a shaka sign. They gently relieved Lou of his aqualung and put it in a small raft, then they placed the boy in a floating rescue basket so they could put him aboard a waiting lifeguard boat. That boat departed immediately for one of the bayside fishing docks, where an ambulance could be seen waiting for him.

"We didn't know before that you knew how to dive, Rod!" Breezy suddenly realized.

"Yeah! The four of_ us _took scuba lessons while Raymundo and Noelani went on their honeymoon," Otto commented. Indeed, they had just finished about a month earlier.

"Actually, you_ could _say that I've been doing_ quite a bit _of diving," Rod explained. "There's a lab at our shop that when certain..._ processes _are going on, you may enter only if you're wearing special equipment. And, when I was taking junior guards, we went to that new dive shop over on the Embarcadero and got an introductory scuba lesson in their pool. I noticed right away that diving equipment worked on_ exactly _the same principles."

Sam nodded understandingly. Rod continued: "Also, a friend of mine had a birthday event at the dive shop, called a Bubble-Maker party. Sort of an introduction to scuba for kids. I went along with him; it was a lot of fun! And I resolved right then that I'd get officially trained as soon as I get eligible."

Scott nodded grinningly, remembering his own Bubble-Maker party some years earlier.

"Well,_ I've _probably got more time underwater than any of_ you guys!" _Sammy boasted playfully. "In one of the treatments I had to take after my encounter with that wayward van, I was suspended inside a seven foot tall beaker of warm water for several hours a day. The breathing device they put in my mouth worked exactly the sameand that's why I was already so comfortable with the equipment."

"Anyway guys," Scotty spoke up, "thanks again."

"We're glad Lou's okay," Breezy replied.  
_  
"De nada," _Twister ratified.

"I kinda know what it's like to be in his position," Otto agreed. "No friend of mine will suffer such a fate if _I _can do something about it."

"Ditto," Reggie answered, as she gave her brother a quick kiss atop his head, causing him to make a face.

"You're welcome, Scott," answered Roderick.

"I'm glad I was able to help," Sammy replied. "But let's not lose heart or momentum over this. There's a treasure outstanding that needs to be found!"  
_  
"SQUID!" _- admonished some of the others.

"Okay okay," Sam responded. "Just wanted to keep us on track."

A few minutes later, a police boat pulled alongside Breezy's yacht. Ray, Tito, Tice, and Shirley boarded. A number of group hugs were exchanged. "We're glad you're all okay," Shirley announced. "But there are some questions that need to be asked."

"That can wait. We can take care of that at the marina firehouse," Tice qualified. "However, in the general analysis, troops," he continued, "each of you is a hero! I salute you."  
_  
'Troops!' _Each of the kids looked with pleasant surprise at each other. Up til now, the senior lifeguard had addressed them as "privates" or "recruits." Proudly, they returned the salute.

A fireboat had now tied up on the yacht's opposite side. The captain spoke up. "And this evening, you'll be treated to the hospitality of Ocean Shores' bravest!"

"Go ahead and get dressed," Raymundo said.

"We'll see that your boats and property are taken care of, and I'll let you know how Lou is doing," Shirley assured them.

"We'll join you at the fire station, lil cuzzes," Tito assured.

During the whole rescue, nobody paid attention to an old barge that was floating nearby, although its crew was very conspicuously dressed. The skipper, a very bad tempered and foul-mouthed teenager with a missing front teeth and a patch on his eye was obviously angry to see all that activity by the Rocket expedition. "The devil take those lowly rats!" - cursed the skipper, pacing fore to aft on deck, fuming - "Can't they do _anything right?_ Why, in the name of Neptune, are they dealing with those coast guards?"

"It seems that one of them got hurt, skipper" - said Pi.

"No _kidding."_ - answered Lars, sarcastically. - "Although I'm wearing this patch, I'm _not_ **blind**, lieutenant! Of _course_ one of them got injured! Now those sea weiners will close all diving operations for the day, until they clear the site. That means we either go down ourselves, or wait until they can come back. Either is unacceptable!"

Lars continued mumbling some old Spanish curses for a while, as he paced the deck for several minutes. He didn't seem to be concerned at all for the safety of the kids, not even if Twister was all right or not. This surprised the Lasers a lot, for even they knew that Lars really cared about his little brother, although he would whomp anyone stupid enough to tell that out loud.

But now it was as if Lars was posessed by some dark spirit, and they were quite scared.

"Never mind" - said the skipper, finally calming down, when he saw the ambulance and all the ships leave the site - "There's not much more we can do from here. We'll need to get some more equipment. But I swear it, I won't let those Rocket dorks to put their hands on my treasure! I'll make them walk the plank one by one before letting them beat me. Now, let's go, gentlemen. We must return to port before someone notices us. We'll think of a new scheme at the pub, over a round of good ole **_rum!"_**

The Lasers looked at each other, confused and disgusted. Since when was Lars - still a child under the law - into drinking rum? But they knew better than speaking before that angry and malefical pirate, so they quietly started the engine and, turing towards port, they made it to the pier.

_Meanwhile, at the hospital..._

... The six kids were inside the little chapel by the waiting room. They were all praying quietly for Lou. Each of them was immersed in their own thoughts.

For Reggie, Otto and Twister, that chapel brought back memories from that terrible experience they had some months before, when they almost lost Sammy. For Sam and Roderick, the chapel reminded them of the times when they had been hospitalized there, both of them fighting for their lives in one moment or another. And for Scott, being there reminded him of the frailty of human life. He was remembering all the good moments he had shared with Lou, and was trying to be calmed while he waited for news.

They were there a couple of hours, but neither said much during that time. They were worried, but they had faith. And they knew that their friend was in good hands. They wouldn't help him if they panicked

Finally, the door of the chapel opened, and a small, rather senior nurse entered the room. All the kids stood up and fell silent, waiting for her to break the news.

The old woman smiled at them knowingly. She had been working in that hospital for decades, and this was one of the closest knit group of friends she had ever seen. She knew that the patient they were praying for was very fortunate.

"The doctor will be in the waiting room in a couple of minutes, kids" - she said. - "He will tell you everything you need to know about your friend's condition. Please come with me, so you can talk to Dr. Bakula."

The nurse walked out of the chapel, followed by all the kids, who were eager to know about their good friend.

"We've gotten in touch with Lou's parents, they said they are getting on the next flight back to Ocean Shores." - announced the nurse.

"Will he be okay?" asked Otto and Scott, almost in unison.

"It's too soon to tell yet, he's still unconscious. He broke his leg; luckily it's a clean break, it should heal in about six weeks." - she replied.

Meanwhile in hospital room 226, Lou was just waking up. He looked around. "Where am I?" he asked to himself.

"You're in the hospital," a nurse who had just finished changing Lou's IV answered, "I'll go get the doctor." She returned a few minutes later, with a man in his late forties.

"Hi Lou, I'm Dr. Stanley, you were in a diving accident earlier this afternoon, you broke your leg, and probably suffered a minor concussion."

'What _don't_ I know?' thought Lou to himself. He just nodded.

"Do you know what day it is?" the doctor asked.

"July 20th?" he replied, not completely sure of his response.

"What's your phone number?"

"310-555-2645" Lou rattled off the numbers.

"Good, we'll need to run a few more tests, but every thing seems to be in order," the doctor pronounced.

Meanwhile, downstairs...

Otto and the others were sitting in the waiting room. It was a rather small area that only had a few rows of chairs inside. To the left was a bathroom. On the opposite end were two small rooms reserved for hospital staff. There was an overhead TV that was currently showing an episode of_ Law and Order. _The room's exit was behind the group. It consisted of a door that led out to the hallway. It had windows with which anyone can look out into the hall. As they sat, waiting for the doctor, they chatted amongst each other. For the most part, it was just casual conversation with the occassional question about Lou. They were still worried about him but they knew he'd pull through.

Also a common topic among the group was the treasure and what Rod saw. Were the Lopez Brothers really going after it too with the help of Oliver and his club? And what's wrong with Lars? Why were he and his goons dressed up like pirates?

And speaking of the older Rodriguez Brother, according to Rod, he had nearly everything a pirate would be seen wearing, except for the traditional captain's hat. It struck them as somewhat odd, but they didn't pay it any mind.

Strangely, despite the situation, Twister was out like a light. A bubble was coming out of his nose as he snored. It inflated and deflated as he breathed. Otto considered giving him a rude awakening, but decided against it. The whole thing must've gotten to the taller redhead. Everyone there, anyway, had pitched in on an heroic battle against death itself within the prior hour and (by a mere stroke of luck) won, Otto reckoned, so he admitted to himself that his comrades had a right to be tired. The one in the sunglasses shrugged and turned back to the TV, which just faded to black.

**_:CLUNK! CLUNK:_**

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! GIANT MONKEYS!" Twister screamed as he shot up. The others stared at him for a few seconds before rolling along the ground laughing.

_"We have a dead man here, and an empty monkey cage..." _One of the actors, a tall man in his sixties said onscreen while investigating a horrendous, debris-strewn crime scene, causing another scream to leave Twister's lips.

Everybody had another laugh as a doctor stepped inside. The man sweatdropped when he noticed the laughing group and Twister huddled against a corner of the room. He cleared his throat to get their attention. They instantly looked up at him.

"Are you the party that accompanied a Mr..." He trailed off as he looked at his clipboard. "Crumpacker?"

"Yes, that's us." Scott replied, standing up. "How's he coming along?"

"Dr. Stanley's been examining him. Lou's in stable condition." The doctor answered with a smile. The group heaved a sigh of relief at the news. "He has just woken up. Aside from his leg and a minor concussion on his head, he's alright. He hasn't suffered any damage to his memory."

"Can we see him?" Rod asked, walking up to the doctor.

"Yes, you're allowed to see him. He's staying in room two-twenty-six." The man answered, much to the pleasure of the group. "But please remain quiet. There are patients up there who need their rest."

"No problem." Reggie said as they started to leave.

They didn't even get close to the door when...

"IGGY! HANG ON! YOU'LL BE ALRIGHT!" A voice screamed as a slam was heard.

Everybody stopped and looked at each other as the voice, which sounded frantic and frightful was getting louder.

"That can't be who I _think_ it is, is it?" Sam asked with a small groan.

"Sounds like it." Twister said as what sounded like a mini stampede was coming towards the room.

"COME ON IGGY! WAKE UP!" The voice shouted again. It sounded closer now.

"They're coming this way!" Rod said, looking out of the door. He quickly pulled his head back in for fear of getting trampled.

A cloud of dust was seen as an entourage of doctor's and nurses sped past, followed by Izzy, Oliver, and several crew members from Sea Crest. From what the group can tell, Iggy was the one on the stretcher. He had a strange trance-like stare in his eyes and his left arm was held out. His fist was clenched. The taller dark haired boy quickly caught up to the doctors. There was a mix of fright and confusion on his face as he ran alongside his brother.

"WAKE UP ALREADY! YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME ALL ALONE!" He cried as he held Iggy's right hand, which felt warm to him, despite the younger one's condition. "WE HAVE TO GET DOWN TO THAT CAVE!"

"Sir, we have to take him to the operating room!" A nurse said, stopping his advance. Oliver and the crew members skidded to a stop as Izzy struggled to get past the woman to reach Iggy, who was just pushed into a whole other room.

"NOOOOOOOOO! _IGGY!" _He yelled, dropping to his knees. "COULDN'T YOU AT LEAST LET GO OF THAT MUSHROOM!" He sobbed as Oliver and the others helped him up.

"That was whacked..." Otto said as the brunet was led to a chair in the hall. The rest of the group nodded in agreement.

"Wonder what happened to **_him," _**Rod said, referring to Iggy.

"Who knows?" Twister shrugged.

"Come on. Let's go see Lou." Scott said, walking out into the hall. The rest of the group followed, being careful not to be seen by the opposing group. They managed to sneak into an elevator without being seen.

"Heya guys" Lou greeted with a slight weakness. The teen's left leg was slightly raised in a traction sling and he was on an i.v. line that was infusing him with a saline solution and another medication, probably a mild pain killer. An open oxygen cannula was at his nose, and a heart monitor was also attached to him, though both Sammy and Roderick knew right away from looking at its display that Lou was doing okay. He motioned for the gang to come closer. He extended his hands at first to Scotty on one side, and to Roderick on the other.

"Glad you're okay, bud," Scott expressed with relief.

"As am I," chuckled Lou, patting Scott on the back. "But you can thank this guy over here for givin' me a kick in the britches and reminding me of my will to live," continued Lou, raising Roderick's clasped hand. The young Dutchman grinned sheepishly. "And I thank all of you for helping out." Everybody standing cheered discreetly, at turns exchanging fist-taps and a gentle squeeze with him. "Where's Breezy?" Lou asked, concerned.

"She's giving a statement to the authorities," remembered Reggie.

"Can I share a secret with ya, Scott?" asked Lou. Scott bent down to listen to him whisper.

(seconds before the cave-in, i received, i dunno, ...a _message_), the blue-capped blackhair whispered, (it was like a... _a cry for help,_ and i was following it. i think i saw a... shaft forking off to the left, just before i got hit. anyways that's where i ...wanted to go. it might be my concussion, but you never know.)

Scott nodded. Reggie was standing a few feet away with her back to a wall. Her eyes went wide for an instant, then she glanced away innocently.

"Anyway guys," Lou spoke out loud, "I feel like taking a nap right now. I'll take ya up on that burger some other time, Rod!" He then extended his hand and wiggled a woogie with the others before they adjourned.

"I'm glad Lou's okay," Otto opinionated.

"He'll be fine," Scotty reassured the gang as they made their way back down to the hospital's atrium plaza.

"Woah dude!"

As they stepped out to the breezeway, they beheld a gleaming vintage open-cab fire engine with a deep red finish, trimmed in gold-foil and its seats upholstered in black leather. This unit was used primarily in parades, car shows, and for educational and public relations duties, but was fully operational. Two fire commanders, in dress blues and white helmets, stood by.

"Thought you guys might need a ride," one smilingly announced, as he passed out yellow helmets to the kids, who gleefully donned them. Otto and Twister dashed to share the front seat with the driver, and the others took up positions on the other seats or sat on top of the hose bed.

"Can we use the siren?" asked Twister idly.

"Sure thing, dude," the driver answered, as he started the vehicle and got it moving. "It's that button over there," he pointed out. "But wait til we're on the str" His voice got obscured by the rising bellow of sound from the vehicle's siren. Reggie decided to play along, tugging on the cord that rang the truck's enormous brass bell, as traffic parted to let them through.

The engine came up the boulevard and turned towards the station, its red lights flashing and its siren bellowing. A few taps of the loud horn got the old vehicle through a stubborn intersection, and onlookers were surprised to see a bunch of kids riding on the unit. When they pulled into the back of the firehouse, they were all greeted by their parents - Otto and Reggie by Raymundo and Noelani, Sammy by Paula, Twister by Sandy and Raul, Scotty by his mom, Cynthia (his dad was on the staff of the hospital), and Roderick by Mike and Monica. The delicious aroma of chicken, ribs, and Italian food wafted through from the backyard.

_At the marina firehouse...  
_  
Everybody was feeding themselves contentedly on ribs, chicken, and pasta. Tito had practically taken over the station's outdoor kitchen, while Breezy, Scott, and the kids were chatting with Bill Conner (a tallish thirtysomething fellow in a blue jumpsuit, with purple hair and wire-rim glasses) the proprietor of Ocean Shores Scuba, who was delivering some air tanks the fire department had sent for refilling. "Sorry to hear about Lou, but I'm glad he's doing okay," Bill said. "But I have to wonder: what were you guys doing out there anyway?" Otto rushed over and whispered something in Bill's ear. "Ah!" Bill nodded with understanding. "My lips are sealed. But I'll have your tanks refilled, and your equipment will be inside the shop. I'll have your boats tied up at my dock, so you guys will be good to go whenever you're ready."

"Thanks, Bill," Breezy said. Raymundo showed up.

"Is all this for us?" Otto asked his father, eyes widened at all the food layed out before them.

"Sure is, you guys deserve it," he replied.

"Yeah, what went on today was a very serious situation and you all handled it very maturely." Tito chimed in.

"We never did figure out why you and Tito were able to show up up so quickly," Scott asked Ray.

"Well, uh,..." Reggie started.

"Tice rang the Shack from his boat, and told me that there was a serious emergency. He asked that Tito and I, if possible, run to the end of the pier and jump in the water, and he'd explain further once he picked us up. Noelani and Eddie were still working there, so we ran out there and jumped," Raymundo replied.

Tito continued, "When Tice and his men picked us up, he told us that the dispatch center had received a mayday call from Reggie aboard Breezy's boat about a diver who was in trouble."

Twister started to walk toward the buffet tables, but Sandy caught him by the back of his t-shirt. "Maurice, have you seen your brother?" she asked.

"No," he replied, trying to wriggle away from his mom.

"Someone told me the police are looking for him." said Raul. "I don't suppose you know why."

"Nope, not a clue."

"Actually,_ I _did, Mrs Rodriguez" - addressed a young voice on her other side.

"Really?" Sandy asked.

"He and his goombahs were dressed as period pirates. I don't know if they were carrying any weapons, but, Lars seems to be behaving differently," continued Roderick. "I think the Lasers want to go after the same treasure we're interested in." That's as much as he would say then.

Sammy spoke up. "He's been hanging around the embarcadero. And as for why the police might be interested in him, I'll have to say I'm relieved that they are - but as to _what_ he's doing, well, we figure that Lars is just being Lars, and sooner or later he'll learn right from wrong_...or, _get an ugly surprise when he least expects it."

Raul nodded. "I hope Lars learns sooner than later. I'm glad to know that_ one _of my sons has done a good deed." He proudly patted Twister on the shoulder.

Scott couldn't help but look for a moment or two out across the channel at the scene of the recent emergency. He felt a grinding in his belly he was sure not caused by _chili con carne,_ as there was unfinished business out there._ 'Was Lou onto something?' _he idly wondered as he stood at the railing.

_  
Meanwhile, at the docks...  
_  
Four figures could be seen entering a dark, hidden alley. They were hiding from view, in case the police were looking for them.

Their hearts skipped a beat when they saw Officer Shirley slowly drive by. Had she been looking for them, they would have been caught; but she was only patroling her district. The group sat behind a large, rectangular trash deposit and discussed their options.

"This is getting a bit too dangerous, captain" - said a stocky, tall guy.

"Shaddap, Piston!" - snapped Lars - "I'll not be leavin' without my treasure chest. These dorks are nearing it, I can feel it. And believe me, they'll not be gettin' their ruddy hands on it!"

"Captain, do you think they will return today?" - said Animal

"No, it's unlikely. Those damned coastguards are still there, and most likely they won't be leavin' until they make sure the cave is safe.

"And what if they find the treasure, sir?" - said Pi

"They won't. Remember that the cave is just one of the entrances to the chamber. Here. Take a look at this."

Lars produced a piece of paper from his pocket and showed it to the other goons.

"This be the treasure chamber" - said, pointing to a large cavern drawn in the middle of the paper - "As you see, there be at least four different entrances to that chamber, each of them connected through a tunnel. The cave they were exploring was just one of the entrances. As you can see _here, _there be at least four other entrances to the treasure chamber" - said Lars, poining to the map.

"Now, the secret is, we should try to enter the cave as unnoticed as possible. And here " - he said, pointing to one of the caves - "We can enter here. That cave be located up on the ridge, a couple of miles from the chamber. The tunnel is dry and above water most of the time. The entrance should be in the marshes, near that sea park they opened some time ago. That is protected land, and thus the cave will most likely be there, undisturbed. We just need to get some ropes, flashlights, and perhaps a couple of bats or other defensive weapons."

Pi, Animal and Sputz were impressed. They couldn't believe how well informed was Lars about that treasure. No wonder he was the leader of the group.

"Very good, captain!" - said Pi, very excited - "I will get the hardware we need from my parents' store. But I'll need a couple of hours to get the things ready."

"Don't worry, lieutenant Piston" -said Lars - "We have time. Now that those dorks have had that... little accident, they won't return here until tomorrow If they ever return. I bet they will get scared."

"Now, let's go. We best be gettin' home. I'll be waiting for you tomorrow, at dawn, just outside the sea park. Don't forget to bring the tools. And bring comfortable shoes. We may be doin' a bit of walkin'."

Lars and his goons laughed evilly, and then split. Pi, Animal and Sputz went to their homes.

"Meanwhile, I think I'll go over to Harris'. They won't look for me there, and I can always use a good beer while I wait."  



	12. Scared Stiff

The Elusive Treasure

Chapter Twelve

Scared Stiff

Oliver was a picture of uneasy calm. Getting that sub together and operational had been a big headache, and he wasn't about to see his aspirations vanish in litigation. He scanned the submarine's insurance policy, satisfied that both he and the club were covered, and any passengers needed to rely first on the public medical plan or their own resources first. He wasn't very comfortable with the idea of agreeing to assist the Lopez's on their treasure chase, but the opportunity to beat Sammy was, he admitted to himself, irresistible. He called his first officer to his side.

"Jack, keep an eye on the situation in the channel. Make doubly sure that the diving sets are ready to go, and message me the minute the channel is reopened." He drew a breath. "I have an idea where Lopez wanted to go."

Iggy was wheeled into an examination room. Izzy tried to get in too, but he was stopped by one of the paramedics.

"Please stay in the waiting room. We'll perform some procedures on your brother. Will call you when we have any news."

Izzy growled but nodded. "Fine. You better make him better."

The paramedic closed the door. A luminous sign lighted by the door, indicating that procedures were being carried on inside the room.

"Iggy..." The brunet sighed as he leaned back into his chair.

Inside the examination room the standard neurological procedures were performed on Iggy. Pupil dilatation, encephalograph. But everything seemed to be OK. At last, after nearly two hours of probing, one doctor and a social worker came to the waiting room.

"I'm looking for the relatives of..." The doctor started. He looked at the chart in his hands. "...Iggy Lopez."

Izzy stood up instantly. "I'm his brother. How is he?"

"We did all the studies, and we haven't found anything wrong with your brother. But we are still concerned by his condition. The symptoms he presents are consistent to those caused by a shock or a severe traumatic condition."

"A shock?" Izzy held his chin.

"Yeah. Like a huge impression or a very big fright."

"A fright?"

'What could've happened to him?' The boy thought.

"We thought you could help us find the reason of his trauma. Could you answer some questions about his health?"

"Hmmmm... I'll see if I can." Izzy answered uncertainly.

"Ok. Let's see…" The doctor began.

'Aw man... I wish Mom was here.' He thought with a gulp. He then blinked. _'Yeah right! She'll kill me if she knew what happened to him!'_

He thought with a gulp. He then blinked. 

"To your knowledge, does he suffer from nightmares, nervousness, anguish, fear?"

"Nightmares, I wouldn't know." The boy answered. "Nervousness and fear, however... Heh, heh..." He snickered before remembering the situation. "Erm... He may have been afraid in some cases."

The social worker, a kindly old gentleman who thus far had been quiet, had a few questions as well. "Mr. Lopez, has anyone been bullying or abusing Iggy at home, or at play?"

"B-bullying...?" Izzy swallowed a lump in his throat. He started to sweat a bit. "W-well..." He had to think of something. What if they blame _him _for what happened to his brother? He took a deep breath and prepared to answer.

"I think he might've been bullied outside." He answered.

"That would explain it, or so I think. Any idea for how long he has been bullied?"

"Oh, it's been _years_." Izzy replied. "Poor guy's been getting roughed up for the longest time." He suppressed the urge to chuckle.

"I see. So this seems to be a case of repression, Dr. Sanchez" - said the doctor to the Social Worker - "We might need to get a child psychologist. He might help Iggy better than us."

"Ah hm," the man nodded. "And as for why his right hand has been balled into a fist."

"Yeah. We are very curious about that strange object. It seems to be a very strong magnetic source. It could have something to do with his condition."

"And are you sure it was that thing that caused it?" Izzy asked, referring to the mushroom. The doctor then turned towards him.

"Well, the device caused some difficulty when we used our devices. That's why it caught our attention. As for the effects of strong magnetic fields on the human mind, there is not any conclusive evidence, but they might affect a certain kind of electric pulse produced by the brain, called the Alpha waves. They seem to be of significance to the control of basic functions of the body."

"You could be right, Miguel," the Social Worker agreed. "A few nights of peace and quiet would probably do the poor lad a world of good." He turned to ask Izzy. "What does he like to eat?"

"Hmmm..." The boy tried to think. "Well, he likes to eat burgers, and fish, and chocolate ice cream, and onion rings. Oh, he'll eat the occasional thing of broccoli, but not without complaining."

Doctor Mike smiled and looked to Dr. Sanchez. This was the typical pre-teen, huh?

"Hm. Okay," the social worker said, jotting down some notes. "Miguel, I read a paper by a Dr. Sullivan regarding a case rather similar to this. Turns out she'll be giving a seminar here in two days. The boy will be in excellent hands."

"Good, Scott. I say we might wheel Iggy to a room and make him comfortable. Izzy" - Mike said, turning to the eldest Lopez - "Your brother will have to stay here for a couple of days, in observation. Could we contact your parents or an adult relative to inform them, so they can make the necessary procedures?"

"Contact?" Izzy clenched his teeth.

'Mom can't know!' He thought with a gulp.

"Ummm... Is there a way I could take care of those procedures?" He laughed nervously.

'I'm dead...'

"Certainly." the Social Worker said, handing the youth his cell phone.

"Well, while you take care of the administrative procedures, I'll see that Iggy is taken to a room. Hum... let's see..." The doctor started, looking at his notebook. "I think there's a bed available in room 226. I'll have Iggy installed there." He saluted and left the room, giving orders to a gurney crew to take Iggy to Room 226. The same room Lou was in.

"Thanks a lot, Doc." Izzy said before looking down at the phone in his hand. "Ok, let's see..." He tried to think of someone he could call. _Anybody_ would do! ...But who?

'Blast! What am I gonna do? If I don't call Mom, I'm gonna be in big trouble! But if I **do** call her, I'm gone anyway! If only I had a dad in this story...'

He blinked and sweatdropped.

'I suppose I **do** have **someone**...' He sighed as he prepared to dial. _'I'm so gonna regret this...'_ He finished pressing the buttons and put the phone to his ear.

He sighed as he prepared to dial. He finished pressing the buttons and put the phone to his ear.

Meanwhile...

The four authors in the room were toiling away at their computers, working on the difficult and ever-changing plot of the fic. One of these authors, Prince Izzy, was rubbing his sweaty forehead.

"Whew... I need a drink..." He sighed as he stood up. He turned to his fellow authors. "I'll be right back, guys."

Mike2000 turned to him. "Huh? What's wrong, Prince Izzy?"

"I'm parched. I'm just gonna get me some pineapple soda before I get back to work." The author in the crown replied before walking over to the nearby vending machine.

Mike2000 raised a confused eyebrow and turned to Salsipuedes. "Since when we have a vending machine in that aisle?"

The blond, noodle-locked surfer turned to his comrade. "Very interesting. But I actually prefer orange soda. But I must admit, we're at a crucial part in the evolution of the story."

Then, one of the telephones started to ring.

The "Prince" reached the soda machine and took out some change. He inserted the necessary change and was about to press one of the buttons when he heard the ringing.

Mike2000 was the one to pick up the phone. "Hello? Who? Yes, he's here. No... He went for a soda... Pineapple soda, that's right... Is that so? Whoa! Don't worry. I'll call him. Hold on a sec." Mike put the handset away and called. "Izzy! Prince Izzy! Phone!"

"Who could it be?" whispered Salsipuedes as he clicked into the line.

"Sanchez," he answered...

"Really...You don't say...

"Hmmm... Now where's that pineapple soda...?" Prince Izzy looked all over for the button for the right flavor, but was coming up empty. "Ugh..." He then heard Mike's voice. "Phone? For me? I'm coming!" He ran back into the room.

"Oh my god. What happened? ... Hang in there bro..."

The "prince" ran up to Mike and held his hand out. "So who is it?"

"Your son" announced the pasta-head.

"And I have Roderick on the line. It seems something happened to Iggy!"- added Mike2000

The dark haired one raised an eyebrow. "'Son...?'" He blinked. "Something happened to Iggy? Let me see!" He took the phone and held it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Boss! It's me!" Izzy cried into the phone. _"I need your help with something!"_

Izzy cried into the phone. 

Prince Izzy sighed. "What'd you do now?"

"Whaddya mean, 'What'd **I** do!'" Izzy roared in response. _"**You're **the one writing this, along with those other guys! Of course you know what's happening!"_

Izzy roared in response. 

"What? The deal with Iggy? Whew..." The author in the crown sighed with relief. "For a second there, I thought something else happened. So what's the problem?"

"Uhhhh, **hello**! I have to deal with the forms and stuff! What am I gonna do when they have to call my Mom!"

"Hmmmm... Good point..." Prince Izzy said, rubbing his chin. "Yeah... What are you gonna do?"

A slap on the head was heard soon after.

"You gotta help me!"

"And just what am_ I _supposed to do?"

"Well..." Izzy gulped, thinking of the next thing to say. _"I kinda need a parent to deal with the bill... And since I can't call my mom in this..."_

Izzy gulped, thinking of the next thing to say. 

The author grinned in response.

"So let me get this straight. You want _me_ to handle the bill since I created you?" He snickered. "Since when did you acknowledge me as your dad?"

A low cursing was heard on the other end.

Salsipuedes handed the prince a note: "The democrats won in that universe. State sponsored medical care."

The brunet covered the mouthpiece. "And what does that mean? I don't know anything about medical care."

"No, but it means that he won't have to worry about a bill."

Prince Izzy blinked in response.

Mike2000: "That means you just need to fill up the forms, and Iggy will receive an excellent medical care at no cost."

"Ohhhhhhhhhh..." Prince Izzy nodded before removing his hand. "Hey _son_..." He smirked when Izzy shouted at him. "You don't have to worry about a bill after all."

"You mean I went through all that worrying for nothing!" Izzy shouted. "I thought those guys were gonna get me for abuse or something!"

"No, but he does need an adult to fill out the forms. And that's your part." Mike told the princely author.

"Ah ok." Prince Izzy said to Mike before returning to the conversation. "Listen, I'll deal with the paperwork, alright?"

"Hmph! Fine." Izzy replied. "Don't scare me like that ever again!"

"Why? It's so much fun." The author smirked.

"Just wait until this is over..." The fan character growled before hanging up.

Back at the hospital...

"Ugh... That cheap little..." Izzy muttered, closing the phone and handing it to the social worker. "Anyway, I have everything taken care of. My dad..." He cringed at the word. "Will take care of any and all paperwork."

"And we'll take good care of Iggy, don't you worry," said Dr. Sanchez.

"That's good to know." Izzy sighed with relief. "Can I go see him?"

"Perhaps in half an hour or so," Sanchez replied. "He's under sedation, and will probably be pretty much asleep for the next two hours."

The boy put on a thoughtful glower as he nodded. "Alright."


	13. A Ghostly Recollection

The Elusive Treasure

Chapter Thirteen

A Ghostly Recollection

Lou was sleeping peacefully in room 226. It seemed that he has gotten used to the sounds the electrical equipment made all over him. A small bubble was coming out of his nose as he breathed. It was a very serene scene.

Soon however, a slight squeaking nose and the sound of voices were heard in the room. Being unable to sleep due to the noise, the kid's bubble popped. He groaned slightly as he opened his eyes. He saw a couple of nurses and a doctor walk past his bed, pushing along a stretcher that had a familiar-looking brunet lying on it. Unlike earlier this afternoon, the boy's eyes were closed. His arm was lowered to his side. His fist was still clutched, however.

'Hmmmmmm...? Isn't that one of those brothers?' He thought, waking up fully.

His question was answered when he saw Izzy and Oliver pass him. The brunet in the blue bucket hat and the redhead in the glasses were in the middle of a conversation. Because of how low they were speaking, Lou couldn't make out too much of what they were saying. He did hear some words clearly, such as "sub," "dive," "cave," and "treasure." His ears perked up at the last word. He turned his head to his right, where a curtain was drawn. Judging by the silhouettes, Iggy was picked up off the stretcher by the nurses and placed onto the nearby bed.

"Hey! Be careful with him!" Izzy told the nurses. "He's fragile!"

"Sir, please keep it down!" The doctor whispered. "There _is_ another patient in this room that needs his rest."

To that, the brunet scoffed. "Pffft! Like I care."

"Well anyway, we've done all we can for your brother." The man said, starting to walk out of the room, followed by the nurses. "Now it's all up to him." And with that, they left.

Lou focused his attention on the curtain. He saw the taller silhouette walk to the side of the bed and sit down.

"Iggy..." He heard Izzy sigh mournfully.

"I'm sure he'll be alright." Oliver's voice said. "Now about that treasure—"

"_That_ is the last thing on my mind at the moment." The taller shadow cut off the shorter one.

"Iggy has to get better."

"But if we don't hurry, Sam and the others will get there first."

"I'm well aware of the situation, thank you very much!" Izzy hissed. "I know I have to beat Blondie and those other guys to the treasure, but in case you haven't noticed, my brother is unconscious and he's currently holding _my mushroom_."

'Mushroom?' Lou repeated. 'Wonder what's that all about.'

"Hmph, since when did you care about your brother?" Oliver asked with a hint of a smirk. Lou grinned slightly when he heard Izzy stutter to find an excuse.

"Ahem! I can care less about him." He scoffed, causing the other brunet to glower slightly. "Like I said, he still has that mushroom clasped in his hand. I gotta get it before I make my next move, which means he has to wake up first."

"Who are you trying to fool, Lopez?" The redhead challenged.

"Whaddya mean?"

"Heh, I can't believe you don't see it." Oliver said. "You may say that you only want the mushroom, but you want him to wake up."

"Hmph! I think you've been underwater too long, Van Rossom." Izzy retorted, crossing his arms. "The only other reason, aside from the mushroom, that I want Iggy to wake up is so that I won't have to worry about getting in trouble with my mom."

"That cheap excuse won't work on me. You love him. Admit it."

"What are you talking about? I want that treasure! Nothing else matters!" Lou smiled knowingly when he heard the uncertainty in the younger brunet's voice.

"Whatever you say." Oliver smirked, crossing his own arms. "The time will come someday when you admit that you may actually like your brother."

"When pigs fly."

'Hmmmm... Does he **really** have to deal with this every day?' Lou asked himself, referring to Iggy. 'Poor kid.'

He didn't have much time to contemplate this for an ear piercing scream was heard seconds later. The brunet's eyes widened when he saw a form sit up in the bed on the other side of the curtain. Izzy and Oliver's silhouettes turned towards the bed.

"Iggy!" The former shouted, shooting up. He stood by the bedside as Iggy continued screaming. Tears rolled down the sides of his face as his eyes were screwed shut. Izzy grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Come on! Wake up!"

"AHHHHHH! GET HIM AWAY FROM ME!" Iggy shrieked as he thrashed around in the bed. Izzy held on tight as he continued trying to wake up his brother. Oliver, recovering from the shock, joined in the effort and grabbed the younger Lopez Brother. Lou looked at the scene in utter confusion as the two older boys tried to calm Iggy down

"NO! STOP! HE'S GONNA GET ME! AHHHHHHHHH!"

"Iggy! Wake up!" Izzy tried desperately as he continued shaking his brother.

"You're just having a nightmare!" Oliver supplied.

"WAKE UP!" They both roared.

Seconds later, Iggy's eyes fluttered open as he stopped screaming.

"Huh...? Wh-wh-where...am I...? Wh-what happened...?" He said as he panted.

"Whew!" Both Oliver and Izzy wiped their foreheads.

"Anyway, you're in the hospital." The former answered.

"Th-the h-h-h-h-hospital...?" Iggy asked.

"Yeah, you were knocked out after you grabbed the mushroom." Izzy confirmed, causing the younger boy to blink in confusion.

"Mushroom? Wha...?" He opened his left fist, only to find to his horror, the golden mushroom, which was no longer glowing.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH! GET IT AWAY FROM ME!" He screamed, dropping it. The trinket rolled along the bed for a few moments before Izzy grabbed it.

"About time ya dropped it!" He snapped, pocketing it. "What the heck happened!"

"W-w-w-w-well..." Iggy started, looking down. "After you left the room to yell at Oliver—" The boy in question glared at Izzy, who chuckled nervously. "—I heard this weird voice. It came from your backpack. It kept telling me to come closer and closer until I reached the bag and stuck my hand inside. When I pulled out that mushroom..."

"Yeah...? Go on." Izzy prodded.

"I-I had this weird dream..." The other sibling trembled. "I was in this dark field and that same voice kept telling me this really weird thing."

"And...?" The older one sighed impatiently.

"He s-s-s-said, 'Do not let the pirate with the missing tooth reach the treasure...'" Iggy shuddered at the memory. Meanwhile, Oliver, Izzy, and Lou all raised an eyebrow at him.

'"The pirate with the missing tooth?"' They all thought.

"H-h-h-h-he told m-m-m-m-m-me that the pirate's that Lars guy..."

'Ok... This has officially gotten weird!' Lou thought with wide eyes. He then blinked. _'Hey... Didn't Rod say something about Lars and his bunch dressing up like pirates?'_

Lou thought with wide eyes. He then blinked. 

"An-an-an-and then..." Tears were coming to Iggy's eyes. "He s-s-said that we can't let Lars reach the-the..." He held his chin as he tried to remember.

"Yeah, yeah...?" Izzy asked anxiously.

"We can't let him reach the Cajon de la Esperanza because there's a dark thingy in there that can destroy the earth."

Izzy's eyes widened when he heard that name. It was the same exact name he heard in the dream he had.

"'Cajon de la Esperanza?'" Oliver repeated, holding a hand to his chin. "Now where have I heard that name before...?"

Lou, meanwhile, was as pale as the sheets on his bed. He was trembling slightly as he listened to the boy's story.

'The Cajon de la Esperanza is **haunted**?' He shook his head. _'No way! It must've been a really bad dream.' _He gulped. _'I hope...'_

He shook his head. He gulped. 

"An-an-and then..." Iggy wiped his eyes as he struggled to continue. "That was when the worst part of the whole thing happened... This really scary monster popped out of nowhere. It was a giant skeleton thing that had swords like that one bad guy in that game." He held his chin. "Hmmmm... The name's on the tip of my tongue. You know who I'm talking about, bro."

"C-C-C-C-Cortez...?" Izzy supplied. He was shaking dangerously. All of the color left his face as he tried to make sense of what was going on. Nearly word for word (aside from what the spirit said) Iggy's dream was exactly the same as his! But how can that be!

"Yeah! That's it!" Iggy grinned as he nodded. He then returned to his somber mode.

"That was when he attacked me! And then, and then, and then..." He shivered.

"Then what...?" Oliver asked, starting to get scared himself.

"...I died..." The younger boy answered. "But the dream wouldn't end. It would always repeat itself. That guy would tell me not to let Lars reach the treasure and then kill me. Over and over again, the same thing happened. I thought I'd never wake up!"

The other three boys were silent as they tried to process this information. Apparently, Iggy saw a vision in which some monster told him about the dangers of the treasure, only to repeatedly kill him until eventually, he managed to wake up. But still, one question remained

"Iggy... I had almost the same exact dream." Izzy said with a stone-faced expression. Iggy and Oliver gasped at this. Lou would've too, but he covered his mouth for fear of getting caught. "I saw Cortez too. He told me that the Cajon de la Esperanza is haunted too. He also popped out and..." He gulped. "Killed me." Iggy gasped. "But the weird thing is I was able to wake up before I actually got killed while you obviously got killed multiple times, only to come back to life, be told the same warning, and die again in an endless loop until you managed to wake up." He held his chin. "The question is why was I able to escape while you didn't?"

"Maybe you were able to resist the power of the mushroom, if it really _did_ possess you." Oliver spoke up.

"Now that I think about it, there _was_ one crucial difference between what happened to us." Izzy started. "When I had my dream, the mushroom was on my desk in my room while I was in bed."

"But Iggy grabbed the mushroom." The redhead added.

"Ummmm... I don't get it..." Iggy said, blinking in confusion.

"Oy..." Both of the older kids slapped their foreheads.

"It means that because you actually held it while it was far from Izzy suggests that its hold on a person is strengthened by how close the mushroom is to that person." Oliver explained.

"Uhhhhhhhh..."

Both boys fell over.

"You were holding it! I wasn't!" Izzy shouted as he stood up. "Meaning that you were stuck in a coma while I had a simple nightmare!"

"Oh! Ok then!" Iggy grinned. His expression then turned grim. "But there was something else... The voice of that spirit... It sounded really familiar... Like I heard it before..."

"Hmmmm... Now that ya mentioned it, the voice _did_ sound strangely similar to some kid's. But whose?"

"Oh! I remember now!" The younger brother exclaimed. "It was that one kid. You know. The one that has the same name as Tails' airplane."

Izzy and Oliver held their chins for a moment.

"Tornado?" The redhead broke the silence after a few moments. "That's his name?"

"Uh-huh." The younger brunet nodded.

"Oh please!" Izzy slapped his forehead. "No one would name anybody Tornado! Something like Cyclone or some other name for it, I'd understand, but _Tornado_?"

"That's his name!" Iggy fought back.

"No it's not!"

"Is to!"

"Is not!"

Both Oliver and Lou sweatdropped as the exchange continued.

"You think that kid that would be named Tornado?" Izzy asked calmly, trying very hard not to attack his brother.

"Yep." Iggy answered defiantly. "That's what everybody calls that guy with the camera." The older brother growled in response.

"If I may interject!" Oliver shouted, getting their attention. "Would the name you're looking for be _Twister_?"

"Oh yeah! That's it!" Both brothers answered cheerfully, causing him to sweatdrop.

"So let me get this straight." The redhead began, holding his forehead. "You two know _Sam_, but not the others?"

"You got it." Izzy answered with a thumbs-up.

"And dare I ask why?"

"Aw man!" The elder Lopez Brother slumped forward. "Do we have to _break_ the fourth wall _again_?"

"Anyway, it's pretty simple." The younger brother started, rolling his eyes. "Because our dad hasn't written a story that doesn't involve a romantic relationship or something unrealistic, there's no continuation between each fic. Therefore, we can't have any memory of any character when we do a new story. The only exception is Sam, who for some reason _he_ hates." He pointed at Izzy, who gaped at him along with Oliver. Iggy blinked in response. "...What?"

"Y-Y-Y-You just broke character, you know?" Izzy replied.

"I did?" The smaller one shrugged. "Oops?"

Izzy and Oliver fell over again.

"Ugh... I hate being a fan character..." The elder brother muttered, standing up again.

"So, getting back to the strange mushroom..." Oliver started, dusting himself off. "Are you two sure it was Twister's voice you heard?" Both brothers nodded.

"It was crystal clear." Izzy answered.

"Yep! I know it was him!" Iggy replied with a nod.

Meanwhile, Lou was a jumbled mess of feelings. First, he was scared out of his wits because of Iggy's story. Next, he was confused by the exchange that just went on. Finally, he was a little weirded out by that part about Twister.

'This doesn't make an ounce of sense!' He thought. _'That ghost thing sounds like Twister? Lars is possessed? What's next!' _

"Attention, visiting hours are now over." A female voice was heard over the intercom.

He thought. A female voice was heard over the intercom. 

"Hmmmm... Guess I better go home." Oliver said, walking away from the brothers. The teen's eyes widened when he realized that he could get caught. Thinking fast, he laid back on the bed and feigned sleep. When the redhead was about to leave the room, he looked to his left and gasped when he noticed the sleeping form of Lou! He paled as he made his way back to the Lopez Brothers.

"Uhhhh... Izzy?" He whispered.

"What?" He hissed. Oliver gulped as he prepared to answer.

"I don't know if you noticed, but Lou Crumpacker is lying in the bed right next to your brother's!"

"Who?"

The redhead slapped his forehead

"A friend of Sam's." He answered in a "You're such an idiot!" voice.

"A friend of..." Warning bells went off in the brunet's mind as he pushed past him and looked at Lou, who was still sleeping, though it seemed like he was sweating. Izzy sighed with relief.

"Whew..." He said, turning back to Oliver. Lou let out a relieved breath. "Man, don't scare me like that. I thought for a second there, he was eavesdropping on us."

"Well there's still a present danger." The redhead replied, looking at Iggy. Izzy immediately understood as he too faced his brother, who gave them both a curious look.

"Now listen, ya little brat!" He started, grabbing the boy's shirt collar. He gave Iggy a cold glare. "I'm going home right now. Under **no** circumstances are you to talk to the guy that's next to you. Got it?"

"Ugh! I got it." Iggy said, struggling against his brother's grip, but Izzy was too strong.

"I mean it! Say NOTHING about you-know-what or what we just talked about! I'm coming back first thing in the morning but if anything happens and you're surrounded by Sam and his pals, keep your trap **SHUT**!" He shook Iggy to get his point across. "Don't say a THING until I get here! Got it?"

"Uh-uh-uh-uh-huh..." Iggy said fearfully. He trembled and shuddered in his older brother's grip.

"And just to make sure you don't say anything, here's the deal." Izzy smirked evilly. "If I find out you said anything to them, you won't get your cut."

"WHAT!" Iggy protested. He clammed up when he saw his sibling's icy stare. He nodded weakly. "I understand... I won't say anything to anybody..." He looked to the side, tears building up in his eyes.

"Good." The older one dropped him. "And if Mom asks, you're sleeping over at a friend's house." He turned to walk away. "I'll be back to pick you up first thing in the morning. The doctor's should allow you to check out since you woke up."

"O-O-O-Ok..." Iggy sniffled as he laid back on his bed.

Izzy was almost out of the room when he sent the "sleeping" Lou a menacing glare. He then looked out into the hallway.

"I'm counting on you, Iggy." He said almost to himself. "It'll only be ten or so hours. Just last til then." He then left with Oliver to go home.

When he was sure Izzy was gone, Lou sat up and tried to absorb all that happened.

'I think we're in over our heads on this one.' He thought. _'Every single one of us.' _He turned towards Iggy, who was crying softly as he tried to get to sleep. _'Poor kid...' _He looked up at the ceiling as he tried to think things through.

He thought. He turned towards Iggy, who was crying softly as he tried to get to sleep. He looked up at the ceiling as he tried to think things through. 

After Izzy had departed the hospital room, Lou stared at the ceiling, ruminating over what had just transpired. He was appalled that someone had treated their brother - their _brother_ - in the way he had just witnessed.

In the hockey matches he had been in as a relief with the Green and White, he was aware of the way Lars had behaved around Twister, of course, but there was a clear malevolence in the way Izzy had addressed Iggy just a few minutes earlier. After Iggy had quieted down, he found himself able to think. Maybe he'd done too much thinking, because Lou had started to feel rather sorry for himself. The stakes and the pressure had clearly been hiked in the contest for the treasure, and the fact that his crew had been deprived of his strength and courage right when they would both be most useful somewhat rankled him.

Well, thought Lou to himself, _they might be deprived of my courage and strength, but I've still got my wisdom and compassion. Maybe that can still provide an edge. _He reached for the bag at the side of his bed containing his belongings that the gang had brought, and fished out his cell phone. He rang Scott's number; the connection rang about three times before being picked up.

thought Lou to himself, He reached for the bag at the side of his bed containing his belongings that the gang had brought, and fished out his cell phone. He rang Scott's number; the connection rang about three times before being picked up. 

_"Hello?" _answered a voice he didn't expect to reach there, notwithstanding the hour.

"Otto."- Lou recognized. "This is Louie, what's going on over there?"

_"Oh hi Lou. We're having a sleepover at the Sanchez's," _answered Otto. _"How ya comin' along, bud?"_

"Much better, thanks. Say, can I talk to Scott? I need to ask him something."

_"Sure. I'll go and get him. Hang on," _answered Otto. The gang staying at Scott's, under the protection of a dog and an alarm system, eased his conscience. Especially with a deluded pirate out there who was up to God only knew what.

_"Hey Lou. Wassup," _said Scott from the other end.

"Scotty, this is something for us to think about," Lou replied. "That guy they brought in while you guys were coming up here - Iggy Lopez - I heard his brother Izzy threatening him. It might be wise to arrange some sort of covert action - both to protect Iggy and to gain whatever insight he has about our...objective," Lou stated cryptically.

"Yes, me and Sam were talking some about those two. I'll take it under advisement, and will discuss this immediately with my associates," replied Scott with an air of official confidence.

"Good", replied Lou. "Whatever you decide on, be careful. This conversation did not take place," answered Lou with a big grin.

_"Understood," _Lou heard Scott say from the other end. _"Sanchez out."_

From the other side of the curtain, Lou heard a voice gasp with relief. "Thank you," it whispered.


	14. Plans

The Elusive Treasure

Chapter Fourteen

Plans

Very early the following morning, a certain brown Mazda stopped by Old Harris' cabin. Pi, Sputz and Animal were inside, and a load of tools crammed the trunk. Pi sounded his horn in a previously agreed way, and soon the front door of the wharf opened. Harris, tall and shaggy as usual, saw the three teens inside the car and recognized them. He looked inside the wharf and made a sign to his guest.

Soon Lars exited the building, shaking hands with his not-so-reputable owner.

"About time you came here, Piston!" - snarled Lars as he climbed in the car - "You're ten minutes late! Don't you know that time is precious here?"

"I... I'm sorry, captain; but we had some small inconvenience in the way here..." -answered Pi, pointing over his shoulder to the rear seat.

Lars looked back and saw that, sitting between Sputz and Animal, was that annoying little brat, Josh Grody. Josh smiled knowingly when Lars noticed him.

"WHAT THE HECK IS HE DOING HERE?" - barked Lars, pointing at Josh.

"We... thought it would be best to bring him, Lars. He... well..." - Pi stuttered nervously.

"... I saw you yesterday after the accident, Lars. Noticed you were near the boats and left the area before the cops could question you. I was rather curious, and thought it would be a good idea to see what you were up to." - said Josh, defiantly, as if he were in possession of a big secret.

"Well, you know I could whomp you to a bloody pulp right here, right?" - Lars menaced.

"Yeah, but I'm sure you won't do that."

"And what makes you so sure about that?"

"Because I can help you beat those dorks to the cave."

Lars blinked in disbelief. For a moment he looked at Josh with confusion, but soon his confusion turned to rage. Josh had heard him telling his plans to the crew, and now was an uncomfortable witness... or was he?

"Ok, dork!" - said Lars, narrowing his eyes - "Give me a good reason for not turning you to sushi right now"

"Simple" - answered Josh, calmly - "I know the cave you want to use to reach the treasure chamber. Well, that cave happens to be in my parents' property, and I can give you access to it... for a small price, of course."

Lars needed a couple of moments to understand the situation. So this cocky little brat was trying to blackmail him? That was something new.

"And what makes you think I will give you a share of the treasure, dork?"

"Because if you don't, I'll make sure Officer Shirley knows about this whole situation, and you'll have to explain what where you doing on that boat during the accident. Not to mention that I won't let you enter my parent's property" - said Josh, gloating.

Lars was infuriated, and seemed to be ready to strangle Josh right there and then; but an idea occurred to him. His features softened, and his tone changed.

"Very well, Josh. You're a very good negotiator. All right; we'll do it your way. Give us easy access to the cave and help us with the logistics, and we'll give you a share."

"Good. I knew you would see things my way" - said Josh, grinning triumphantly.

'Oh, you don't have the slightest idea, kid' - thought Lars, making a sign to Pi to start the car. I'll make sure you don't exit the cave again...'

Pi noticed Lars smile and immediately realized the boss was planning something. He grinned; he knew better than making Lars get mad. He geared first and headed for the California Incline.

While he drove, he looked casually at Josh through the rearview mirror. 'Poor brat, should have stayed away from us...', he thought.

The first lights of the day were also setting things in motion in a certain compound near the Incline. Roderick was already up, and was looking carefully at some maps and old books.

The more he looked at those documents, the more he convinced himself that the cave where Lou had been injured was in fact just one of a series of caverns, connected through tunnels, which converged to an unexplored center.

Mike came from the kitchen with a mug of hot chocolate and offered it to his son.

"Still reading, Rod?" - asked the mechanic.

"Yep. Thanks for lending these maps to us, dad. I've been reading them, and it seems there is a series of caves under the marina, but also some on the marshes and forests. And they all seem to converge down there.

"Yep. I found these subsonic geologic surveys when I started looking for a place for this compound. The ground down there was too earthquake-prone, and a good reason for that was the existence of several unexplored caves like these. All that part" - said Mike, encircling a large area of the marina with a red pencil - "used to be above water before the 1906 earthquake, and I think there could be many things down there."

"If I were to look for that treasure, judging from these charts and the legends my folks e-mailed us from the Netherlands, I would look for those caves."- Said Mike.

"I agree. Now I think that the cave we were exploring yesterday was just an entrance. We might look for another cave to explore. That's great!" - said Rod, as hyper as usual.

"Yep. Glad to see these maps were useful."

"Indeed! Thanks a lot, dad!" - said Rod, hugging Mike.

"I gotta go to Scott's and tell the guys about this!"

"No worries, Rod. I'll drive you there."

Izzy was tossing and turning in bed. Sweat was pouring down his face as he groaned. A shiver went down his spine as a familiar voice whispered (or in Izzy's case, yelled), "Do not let the pirate with the missing tooth reach the treasure... Do not let the pirate with the missing tooth reach the treasure... DO NOT LET THE PIRATE WITH THE MISSING TOOTH REACH THE TREASURE... **DO NOT LET THE—**"

°Brrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggg!°

"Ugh..." The brunet groaned as he opened his eyes. "Not that dream _again_... When will it end?"

He fully woke up as he heard the ringing again. He looked around for the source.

"I thought I dealt with that stupid clock..."

°Brrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggg!°

He blinked in realization and slapped his forehead.

"Duh... That's the phone..." He grumbled as he ran a hand through his disheveled hair. As he walked towards his desk, he put on his usual scowl.

"Whoever woke me up better have a good reason..."

Just before he reached the desk, he spied the gold mushroom, which was sparkling in the sunlight pouring in through the window. Izzy gave a shudder as the memory of his conversation with Iggy entered his mind. He shook his head and reached out towards the phone. He grabbed the receiver and held it to his left ear.

"Hello?" He yawned.

"Izzy! I'm glad I caught you." The voice on the other end replied. He sneered at the unseen person.

"This better be important, Van Rossom! I was having a nice rest before you called!"

The truth was he was having a _horrible_ rest. Visions of that giant skeleton and dreams of that gruesome voice that sounded exactly like Twister's plagued him all night. Because of this, he was actually thankful that his teammate, so to speak, called and disturbed his horrifying slumber. But he wasn't about to let _him _know that. He still had his dignity and pride, after all.

"Oh it's important alright!" Oliver reassured. "But I can't tell you over the phone. _Can you come to the Sea Crest Engineering club building?"_

Oliver reassured. "But I can't tell you over the phone. 

Izzy glared at the phone. He didn't have time for this! Before he could show his annoyance, he relaxed and put the phone back to his ear.

"Very well, but this better not take too long. I still have to pick up Iggy at the hospital, after all."

"This shouldn't take too much time. Don't forget to bring the map and that mushroom." The redheaded genius advised.

'The mushroom?' The brunet gulped and looked at the golden fungus with a look of pure fear. He shivered for a moment before shaking his head.

"Pffft! Whaddya take me for?" He scoffed. "Of course I'd take them. See ya in a few."

"Goodbye." Oliver said. Izzy hung up the phone and started to get dressed.

'That blasted dream...' He thought as he reached into his drawer and pulled out his usual purple shirt. _'Why do I keep having it? And what's with that monster that looks like Cortez?'_

He thought as he reached into his drawer and pulled out his usual purple shirt. 

He discarded the blue pajama shirt he was wearing and put the violet one over his head.

'And that idiotic voice... Now that I think about it, it **does** sound like that Twister kid, but why? You'd think if I was having a nightmare, it would've been that blond twit instead!'

He reached into a different drawer and pulled out a pair of black shorts.

'But what did he mean? "Do not let the pirate with the missing tooth reach the treasure."'

He took off his pajama pants and put on the shorts.

'If I remember correctly, Iggy said that the pirate the voice was talking about was Lars. But—'

He gasped.

'Iggy!' He scowled. _'Whatever Oliver wants to talk to me about, it better be fast! I can't let those losers pump him for info! Iggy would sing first chance he got!'_

He scowled. 

He grabbed his bucket hat off the top of the drawer and put it on.

'If he knows what's good for him, he'll keep silent. I don't trust that Crumpacker guy that's right next to him. He may have been asleep when Iggy was wheeled in, but I still don't trust him. He'll probably get the brat to talk by acting all nice and stuff.'

He shuddered at the thought.

'Yeah right. Somebody actually being nice to **Iggy? **Pfffft! That'll be the day!'

Snickering to himself, he laced up his shoes and grabbed the map, which was placed on the desk next to the mushroom. He stuffed the tattered piece of paper into his backpack and with a frightful gulp, put the mushroom away.

'But still... I want to share my triumph over Sam with **someone**, and it's not gonna be Van Rossom! Even if Iggy was on his deathbed, I'd drag him down to that cave and nab the treasure!'

With that thought, he put on his backpack and grabbed his helmet and pads. He then made his way through the house to the garage, where his and Iggy's mountain bikes were. He grabbed his, put his hat in the backpack, and put on his helmet. He then walked his bike outside and hopped on. Making sure that no cars were around, he peddled his way to downtown Ocean Shores.

He soon made it to the building where Oliver's club meets. It was two stories tall. It looked like a small office building. A stone path stretched from the street to the front entrance, which were a pair of electronic doors. To the left of the path was a statue that consisted of a Ship's propeller. Underneath it was a pair of divers. They appeared to be holding up the propeller. To the right of the building was a garage, presumably for transporting the club's submarines and boats. Above the main entrance was the Sea Crest emblem. It was a circular symbol. On it was a bronze anchor, which was wrapped in a white cord that was tied into a graceful knot. It was over a blue background, supposedly to symbolize the ocean. On the border of the emblem were the words, "Sea Crest Engineering Club—Ocean Shores Order."

"Hmph. Guess this must be the place." Izzy said in awe. "Like the decoration."

Remembering the reason for being here, the brunet grabbed a chain from a pouch that was secured to his bike and walked his transport to the nearby bike rack. He tied the chain around the rack and the bike and secured it with a lock. He then walked up the stone path to the main entrance. The electric doors slid open as he neared, granting him access.

"Ah Izzy! _There_ you are!" Oliver called, walking towards him. The brunet glowered at the redhead as he walked towards him.

"Alright, I'm here. So what'd you want to discuss?"

"Not here. Let's go to my office." Oliver replied. He turned and started walking. Izzy gave an irritated groan, but followed.

As they made their way through the hall, the brunet couldn't help but look around. The lobby was very wide. The ceiling had a tinted sunroof, which bathed the place in a bluish light. It was as if they were walking underwater. The second floor had a balcony on which several Sea Crest members were walking around, supposedly to get to offices or laboratories. The pair's footsteps echoed throughout the room as they walked along the tiles. It was like being at an indoor swimming pool. The walls were decorated with lamps, as well as various plaques, awards, and pictures of undersea life. There were also the occasional map and picture of assorted divers or scientists. Also pictured were various shipwrecks, coral reefs, and undersea caves.

Finally, after traversing a small flight of stairs, Oliver and Izzy entered the formers office. It had a beige shag rug. All of the walls, aside from the one that had the door, were one big aquarium. Many colorful species of fish swam among plastic ships, divers, and treasure chests, as well as seaweed and coral. Sofas, chairs and tables also littered the room. At the far end of it were a desk, some office chairs, and a bookcase. Potted plants were also placed at each corner of the office.

"So why am I here, Van Rossom?" Izzy asked as he sat on one of the plush chairs in front of the desk.

"Well, it's about the treasure." Oliver answered as he sat behind the desk.

"What about it?" The brunet asked with an impatient sigh.

"Well, I remember what your brother told us last night about the dream he had." The redhead replied. Izzy gulped at the mention of the dream. "Do you remember what he said that strange voice told him?"

Izzy nodded numbly. "'D-don't l-let th-the pirate w-with the m-missing tooth reach the t-treasure...'"

"Correct." Oliver said, ignoring the other boy's apparent fright. "I did some research on this 'Cajon de la Esperanza' and found this."

He typed on the computer that was on the desk for a moment or two before he turned the monitor towards Izzy. The taller boy gasped when he saw the image.

"I-Is that...?"

"Lars." The redhead confirmed.

On the screen was what seemed to be a painting of Lars. Except, he was dressed in pirate clothes. He was wearing a patch on his left eye and a hat which had a skull and crossbones on it. He even had the standard parrot perched on his shoulder! He had a devilish sneer on his face. He was holding a sword in his left hand.

Izzy paled as the monitor was moved.

"Y-y-y-y-you mean to t-t-t-tell me th-th-that the pirate I-I-I-Iggy was blabbing about is L-L-Lars!" He stuttered.

"Yes." The other boy replied simply as he adjusted his glasses.

"What! Is that guy supposed to be Lars' ancestor or something?"

"It's possible." The redhead answered. He then proceeded to tell Izzy the legend of the Cajon de la Esperanza. When he was done, the brunet gaped in disbelief.

"This is getting way too strange."

"I'm not finished yet." Oliver continued. "It seems that this Frans Banninck also had a younger brother who he had executed when he wouldn't reveal the location of a treasure."

He typed on the computer again and clicked a bit before turning the monitor towards the brunet again. What Izzy saw surprised him to no end. Displayed was another painting. This time, however, it was of Twister. The main difference between the cameraman and the one displayed was that he wasn't wearing a shirt or shoes. Only a pair of tattered and ripped blue shorts. On his head was a red bandanna, which covered his hair. Unlike the menacing position the pirate resembling Lars was in, Twister's ancestor was tied up and was about to walk the plank. On the water underneath the redhead, Izzy could make out three fins. It didn't take a genius to figure out what they belonged to!

The brunet was as white as a sheet as Oliver turned the monitor towards him again.

"S-s-s-s-s-so... You're trying to say we're dealing with ghosts here?"

"I should say not!" Oliver scoffed. "There's no such thing as ghosts! But I do agree that something very strange is going on."

"No kidding." Izzy crossed his arms.

"We also have a slight situation with the cave we were planning on exploring."

"Oh goody, _more _bad news." Izzy said sarcastically. "What is it?"

"If my sources are correct, the cave-in that trapped Lou Crumpacker yesterday completely blocked off the cave we were trying to enter."

"Ugh!" The taller one slapped his head. "It's _always_ Dullard! He's a major pain in the--Wait, did you say 'Lou Crumpacker?'"

"Yes. Why?"

"Hmmmm... So _that's _what happened to that guy..." Izzy mumbled. "So what are we supposed to do now? I don't suppose your subs are equipped with mining equipment, right?"

"They are, but it could take hours to dig through that rubble. I suggest taking an alternate route to the treasure." Oliver replied.

The other boy blinked. "There's another route we can take?"

"I hope so." The redhead answered, holding his hand out. "Let me see the map."

"Alright..." Izzy complied, reaching into his backpack. He pulled out the map and handed it over to Oliver, who laid it out on the desk. The club president then grabbed a red marker from a drawer.

"This is where the cave-in occurred." He started, circling the designated area on the map. He then put an X through it. "According to several charts and maps I researched, there should be at least four other caves nearby." He circled those areas on the map.

"So now we have to take one of the other caves to reach the treasure?" Izzy asked.

"Right." Oliver nodded. "The problem is that we don't know what's inside those caves. Plus, they're very unstable. One wrong move and we can cause a cave-in. We'd be trapped just like Lou was."

Izzy gulped.

"We have to make sure we take the quickest route possible." The bespectacled one continued.

"But we have no idea which cave would give us the fastest route to the treasure."

"Fortunately, I have a solution." The redhead assured. "There's a treasure hunter who lives nearby. We could hire her and she'll take us through the most direct route."

"Hmph!" The brunet crossed his arms. "What's the catch?"

"Well..." Oliver rubbed the back of his head. "She's not cheap."

"Figures..." Izzy rolled his eyes. "Bad enough I gotta pay _you_. Now I have to pay some girl just so that we can get to the treasure faster?"

"What can I tell you?" The shorter boy shrugged. "It's either that or let Sam reach it first."

The taller one sweatdropped.

"You raise a valid point." He said. "We'll hire this treasure hunter and take the easiest route to the treasure. But I'm warning you, Van Rossom, she better get me there before Blondie can get his greasy mitts on my—"

"Ahem!" The redhead glared at him.

"Errrr... I mean _our_ treasure. Heh, heh..." Izzy chuckled sheepishly.

"That's better." Oliver stood up. "Come on. We'll go and hire her."

"Not yet. First, I'm getting Iggy before he sings like a canary."

"Very well." The other boy sighed. "Let's go get him first."

And with that, both partners left the office.

Meanwhile, in Ocean Shores…

The white racer was parked outside Scott's home. Mike and Roderick were talking to the kids over the table, sharing their last discovery with the crew.

"... And so I think there are at least three, maybe four more caves we could use to get there. Now, those caves are mostly underwater and might be dangerous, but there are at least two caves above ground. One of them is located in private property and we couldn't use it; but the other is in a park, and has been explored already. It is open to the public.  
"Now, I know Scott and Lou are experienced speleologists. This will be useful here, for the cave leads to an underground lagoon that apparently connects to the channel, because it is filled with salt water and is affected by the tides. This might be a long shot, of course, but we think the cave connects to the same larger chamber as the other caves, as suggested by these echo graphs."

Mike showed the maps and geological surveys to the crew, and they all gasped: the charts did show a series of connected caves.

"This was the cave Lou was exploring when he had that accident" - said Rod, pointing to the map - "As you see, the same cave is clearly outlined in the echo--- deco---- whatevers, my dad brought."

"So, if this is true, we could use that other cave above ground, and explore the underground lagoon, we might find the passage to the main chamber."

All the kids nodded. That was a good call, and they had all the equipment needed for it.  
"All right, guys" - said Scott - "This is a very good idea. So we are still on; we should make all the preparations and get the equipment on the truck. So, let's move, gentlemen! We have a cave to explore!"


	15. Hospital Room Chat

The Elusive Treasure

Chapter Fifteen

Hospital Room Chat

The phone rang while the kids were playing Monopoly. Otto picked up the call, and handed the phone to Scott. Reggie was in the den, talking to the others. "Y'know, guys," she said, "things are getting a little weird on our treasure hunt. It's almost like there's a... _force_ out there, manipulating these occurrences... or even two or _more_ forces, _contending_ for the treasure."

"You're scaring me, Reg," intoned Sam, as Otto brought a plate of warm cookies out of the oven to the table.

"If the other guys are beginning to play dirty, _we_ might need to play dirty too," rationalized the auburn one. "Twister, did you bring your art pens and some parchment?"

"Sure did, Ottoman. And I brought some surgical gloves too, along with a couple of the vials we found in those other boxes."

"Excellent," answered Otto with a big grin, pronouncing that word almost like Vincent Price used to in those old horror movies. "This way, if we find something, we can leave a false trail for the opposition." Reggie was surprisingly quiet and calm during this transaction. Did she as well tacitly agree with what they were proposing?

Suddenly, Scott bounded into the room. "Twister, Sammy, could you come with me to the attic? There's something I'd like your opinion on..."

Scott, Twister and Sam went to the attic. The younger boys were curious - they hadn't seen Scott so excited before.

When they reached the attic, Scott looked in some old trunks for a while, opening and emptying them inn front of the boys, until he found the box he was looking for.

"Aha!" - he said - "Here it is! I knew I had seen this thing before!"

Scott opened a small box and pulled out an old, large bronze key with a very old and yellowy paper attached to it with a cord.

"Guys, please let me what you think if this paper" - said Scott, handing them the paper.

Sam adjusted his glasses and examined the paper. It was kinda difficult to make out the letters, since the ink had started to vanish, but when he was finally able to make something out of the paper, he couldn't help but gasp in realization.

"This... this is identical to the echographs Mike and Rod brought!"

"Exactly!" - answered Scott - "I remembered I had this key when Rod showed us those echographs."

"And where did you find this?" - asked Twister

"I inherited it along with these chests from one of my forebears, who, I seem to recall, was a sailor or something like that."

"Whoa..." - said Sam - "What's this?"

Sam took another piece of paper with something written on it, and read it carefully. After some minutes, he adjusted his glasses triumphantly and grinned from ear to ear. It seemed he had literally found the key to the treasure.

"Guys, you won't believe this!" - said Sam - "According to this note, the key belongs to a lock in an old door leading to the treasure chamber!"

"Really?" - said Twister and Scott at the same time.

"Yeah!" - chimed Sam - "I think we should take this down to the others; I'm convinced there is a very good chance to find the treasure still untouched! C'mon!"

Sam stormed down the stairs to the dining room. Twist and Scott looked at each other in confusion, and then followed the blonde.

Meanwhile, at the hospital...

'_So bored..._' Lou thought dully as he tried to relax. He was having difficulty for a number of reasons. One, his leg was in constant pain. Two, there was nothing worth watching that hour on the overhead TV. And three, the boy in the bed next to his was snoring up a storm. The brunet looked to his right. Iggy was sprawled along the bed. His left leg was hanging off the side of it. A bubble came out of his nose as his mouth opened wide for a couple seconds before closing, only to open again. Despite the annoyance caused by the kid's snores, Lou had to admit, he looked peaceful compared to last night. The teenager sighed as he looked at the ceiling, placing his arms behind his head.

'_Last night..._' He thought. '_Maybe there's a way I can get him to talk to me. But after the threat his brother gave him, I doubt he'll open up. Not that it matters too much. He's sleeping right--_'

He was cut off by a low groaning. He turned towards Iggy, who was no longer laid out across the bed. Instead, he was holding the sheets tightly. His eyes were screwed shut as he tossed and turned.

"N-n-n-n-no Izzy, don't make me do it..." He moaned. "I don't wanna..."

Lou raised an eyebrow. "Hmmm... Must be having a nightmare." He knew he probably shouldn't eavesdrop, but he decided to listen in. Sweat was dripping down Iggy's face in sheets as his movements became faster.

"No please... I don't wanna toss the water balloon at Sam... Please don't be mad at me... No wait... Don't take away my Game Boy..." He held his hands out trying to reach for something. He soon shot up and looked around himself.

"Whew... Just a dream..." He sighed with relief as he wiped his sweaty head and laid down. "Man... I wanna get outta here. I hate having that stupid dream. I gotta find that dumb treasure..."

"Hey, are you alright?"

"Huh!" Iggy's eyes widened with fear as he looked up and turned towards the source of the voice. As soon as he saw the concerned look on Lou's face, he covered his mouth.

"Hey, I'm not going to hurt you." The older brunet said. He then added as an afterthought, "Not that I could if I wanted..." He chuckled at that. Iggy, however, remained silent. "Come on. It's ok."

"Hmmmm hmmmm!" The younger one replied, muffled by his hands as he shook his head vigorously. The older brunet sighed. He really was afraid of him. Or rather, he was afraid of his brother.

"Hmmm..." He held his chin as he tried to think of something. "I heard you sleep talking. That must've been some nightmare."

To that, Iggy put down his hands.

"Aw man... You heard me?" He asked. He flushed with embarrassment when Lou nodded. He glowered. "Just great... I bet I sounded like a real baby too." He crossed his arms.

"Nah. Everybody has nightmares once in awhile." Lou reassured. "It's nothing to be ashamed of."

Iggy raised his eyebrows curiously. "Really?"

"Really." Lou nodded. Iggy uncrossed his arms. "So what was your dream about?"

"It was about--" The younger boy gasped and covered hismouth again. He put them down after a few seconds and asked, "Hey wait. Aren't you one of those guys that hangs around Sam Dullard?" To his fright, the older one nodded.

"Lou Crumpacker, at your service. And your name is Iggy,right?"

"Y-yeah..." Iggy gulped.

"And you have a brother, don't you? Named Izzy?" To that, the younger Lopez Brother started sweating.

"Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-huh..." He nodded, putting his pillow in front of him in order to shield himself. Lou blinked at the defensive act.

"Hey, like I said, I can't hurt you." He said. He then pointed to his leg. "I hurt it pretty badly while diving." He gave a small smile when Iggy lowered his pillow.

"You got it while diving for that t-t-t-treasure, didn't you?"

"Yep. Cave-in." He answered. Iggy nodded in understanding. "So why are you here, kid?" Not that he didn't already know. He just wanted to gain the younger boy's trust.

"I'm here because..." He gasped, remembering his brother's words. He instantly shut his mouth and looked to the side. "I-I-I can't tell you..."

Lou sighed. The conversation from last night was fresh in his mind as well. "Well what if--"

"No! I can't tell ya anything! I promised Izzy I'd be quiet!" Iggy shouted.

"Well, I can't force you to tell me anything if you don't want to."

"I'm sorry..." The shorter brunet apologized. "I'd like to tell ya everything, but I don't want to lose my cut..." He looked down miserably.

"What if I told you I heard that whole conversation last night?" Lou asked after about a minute of silence. Iggy gave a horrified gasp at that.

"No..." He said, tears spilling down his cheeks. "Please don't tell anybody! Nobody can know what we talked about!"

"Calm down, calm down. I won't tell anybody about your conversation."

"Promise?" Iggy sniffled.

"Scout's honor." Lou raised his right hand, holding his pinky down with his thumb. The younger Lopez brother glared at him though.

"Pinky swear." He said. The older boy raised an eyebrow, but chuckled.

"Alright, alright. Pinky swear." He held up his pinky. Iggy climbed out of bed and walked over to his side with his own pinky extended. The smaller brunet hesitated for a moment before intertwining his smallest finger with Lou's.

They shook hands and separated. Iggy went back to his own bed and sighed sadly.

"So what do ya wanna know?" He asked.

"Hmmm..." Lou thought for a moment. "How do you and your brother get along?"

Iggy gave him a confused look. "If ya heard us last night, you should know exactly how we get along."

"So you two fight a lot?"

"Almost all the time. It's kinda fun sometimes, at least until he hits me."

Lou felt his blood boil slightly.

"He _hits_ you?"

Iggy nodded grimly. "Yeah..." He then looked up with a glower. "But I always hit him right back! Our fights can last for a long time." He chuckled.

The teen sweatdropped. "So uhhhh...do you hate Sam too?"

"Nope." Iggy answered, surprising Lou.

"Then why do you always try to prank him?"

He heard the stories about how both brothers would try to bring harm onto the blond in question. Anything from stink bombs to tiger traps were used. It seemed that they took a page from Lars' book.

Iggy shrugged. "'Cause Izzy tells me to." He then added, "I don't like to though..."

"Then why do you prank Sam?"

Lou was answered with another shrug. "Izzy's my big brother. Little brothers are supposed to do what big brothers say."

"But look at Lars and Twister. You never see _them_ hang around together, do you?"

"Twister...?" Iggy's eyes widened at the name. He shuddered. "That voice... That horrible voice... _Keep him away from me!_"

"Wait! Calm down!" Lou tried. "Nobody's going to hurt you."

"No... Not him, anybody but him..." Iggy mumbled, rocking back and forth. "The mushroom... That voice... That monster..."

"Mushroom?"

"Y-y-yeah..." The little one nodded. "The voice I heard when I grabbed the mushroom sounded just like Twister... I don't wanna hear it ever again." He shivered frightfully.

"Really? Twister Rodriguez is one of the nicest, coolest people I ever met," Lou told him. Iggy shook his head.

"That I know. I've seen him in Mad Town. But still..."

"...He helped save my life, you know?"

Iggy's eyes widened. "He_ did? No way!_"

Lou nodded. "As did Sammy Dullard, and Otto Rocket himself. I probably wouldn't be alive without their help. Not to mention Roderick Vandenack. He probably did as much as anyone to keep me alive."

"Wow..." Iggy said in awe. He then looked down. "I bet if I was trapped down there, Izzy would _never_ help me." He sniffled.

"He probably would." Lou told him.

"Yeah right!" The younger brunet scoffed. "He wouldn't save my life for anything!" He then sighed mournfully. "Anyway, I don't wanna hear that Twister guy's voice. It's way too scary."

"Come to think of it, that voice I heard in the cave sounded remarkably familiar..."

Lou said, holding his chin. "It sounded something like Twister too..."

Iggy gulped. "Y-y-y-you're kidding..."

Lou shook his head. "...it was like a... a _cry for help_, as though there was some_thing_ that wanted to be rescued..."

He then added. "...and then that's when the rocks hit me; it's like there were forces contending for the treasure..."

"What kinda forces?" Iggy asked curiously.

"A force that wanted freedom and protection...and an opposing quality that, I think, wants to enslave and dominate the world. Y' know, 'Episode 4' kind of stuff. Surprising how life follows fiction," Lou responded ruefully.

Iggy paled. "'Dominate the world?' That sounds sorta like what that sprit said..."

"'The one lacking a tooth will be the bringer of destruction,' or something like that?" Lou asked.

The younger boy gulped. "More like, 'Don't let the pirate with the missing tooth--"

"IGGY!" A familiar voice was heard, followed by heavy footsteps.

"Huh?" The boy in question turned towards the doorway in time to see Izzy walk inside, followed by a panting Oliver.

"Come on. We got work to do." The elder brother said, walking past Lou without so much as a glance.

"Ok..." Iggy nodded, getting out of bed.

"Whew..." Izzy sighed as his brother put on his purple cap. "I'm glad we managed to get here beforeBlondie and his cronies could've interrogated you. We better hurry up. I checked you out so we can get moving."

"Hey, Lopez." Oliver said, nervously.

"What now, Van Rossom?" Izzy said, turning to him. The redhead pointed to his right. The brunet followed his finger until he found himself looking at a wide awake Lou. His eyes widened as he gulped. He quickly turned to Iggy.

"Please tell me you didn't tell him anything." He growled dangerously. The younger brother sweatdropped as he stuttered to think of something.

"Uhhhhh..." He moved his eyes towards Lou, who held his finger to his lips in a silencing motion. Iggy's eyes brightened before he turned back to his brother.

"Nope. I didn't say anything to anybody." He answered confidently.

"Hmph..." Izzy glowered at him before looking at Lou, who was watching TV. He turned back to Iggy. "Good. It's nice to know I can depend on ya for once. Let's go. We gotta go meet someone."

"Who?" Iggy asked as he followed the two older boys towards the door.

"You'll see when we get there!" The older brother snarled before walking out the door. He faced his left and saw something.

In the distance down the hallway, three figures in light green medical uniforms walked calmly towards their location. As they got closer, one of them could be seen to wear sunglasses, and another a pair of indestructible spectacles.

"Hmmm... That blond guy in the glasses looks familiar..." He said. He then shook his head. "Let's go, Oliver. Iggy."

"Right." Both boys said. Oliver followed Izzy out into the hall, but Iggy stayed behind. When he was sure his brother and the other boy were gone, he turned to Lou and gave him a thumbs-up.

"Thanks a lot," he said.

"No prob," Lou replied, returning the gesture. Grinning, Iggy ran after his brother.

Not even five seconds later, the three male nurses ran inside the room with horrified looks. They were panting slightly. Lou raised an eyebrow when he realized the figures were Otto, Sam, and Scott.


	16. Meeting the Treasure Hunter

The Elusive Treasure

Chapter Sixteen

Meeting the Treasure Hunter

"Don't tell me...that was who...I think...it was..." Sam breathed.

Lou shrugged. "It was."

"Aw _man!_ We were so _close!" _Otto groaned.

"Would you guys mind telling me why you're in those? It's a little early for Halloween, don't you think?"

"Well..." Scott started, rubbing the back of his head. "We were planning on taking Iggy somewhere and having a little chat with him."

"Oh don't worry. I already talked to him." Lou reassured.

"YOU DID!" The three "nurses" exclaimed. Lou nodded. "What'd you find out?"

"Sorry, I'm sworn to secrecy." The brunet replied, making a zipping motion across his lips.

The trio in green gaped at him for a few seconds, and then at each other, before falling over.

Lou looked around himself. "Guys?" he called out, no longer seeing them gathered round his bed. He heard a low moaning from the floor.

He was about to reach under his pillow for the nurse button, which doubled as a remote control for the television set that hung from the ceiling. Otto helped Sam up, and the two brought Scotty to his feet.

"Well, it's good that you gave some thought to 'rescuing' Iggy, but I'm sure that's not the only item of interest that you guys have on the agenda," Lou said.

"Actually," Otto replied, "we have some new evidence to consider."

"Specifically, some notes, a cave map that matches the more recent echographic studies, and a big brass key to a hidden chamber in the Hole, somewhere on the other side of the Glowing Pool,"- continued Scott, as Lou carefully weighed the gravity of his friend's new information.

"Haaanh," exclaimed Lou quietly. "This tale is becoming more and more interesting."

"Lou, did Oliver and the Lopezes say they were going anywhere in particular?" asked Sam.

"Nope," replied Lou. "Iggy did ask, but his brother replied in his ever-so-charming way that he'd 'find out when they got there," replied Lou in a voice very like Izzy's.

"Figures," observed Sam.

Lou carefully weighed the evidence that Scott had brought before him, and all of it seemed to support the conclusion that _something_ of interest, if not the "big lebowski" itself, was at that location. "All right," Lou advised, "I think this could be 'the real thing'. You guys need to get down to that cave. I know about the Glowing Spring in the Hole, but there's just a chance that the 'rest of the way in' just might be a bit wetter in some places. That means guide lines, helmet lighting for everybody, and..." (he scratched his chin) "...as far as dive gear, the shoulder-carry units would be best. They're small, but you're not gonna be dealing with any big submerged distances or depths, just 'very large puddles with low overhead'. Plus, they have nice big waterproof pouches for maps, food, water, and whatever gizmos Dullard thinks you should have." Scott nodded, being familiar with what Lou was describing. "From what I can see, I think you should be at the site within 45 minutes of emerging from the spring. But dress to get dirty. Otto, your sister wears BDU's. Any chance of finding some more?" Lou asked.

"Uh, maybe another pair or two," Otto replied.

"You guys should take up paintball. I got a bunch more, enough for all of us," Scott supplied with a big grin.

"On the odd chance the... _opposition_ shows up--" Sam mentioned.

"Take whatever precautions you deem appropriate," Lou deadpanned. "I want you guys to be safe. Sticks, sprays, whatever you feel comfortable with." Scott nodded. "I think they're gonna start serving breakfast, so if I were you I'd get out of here before somebody issues tasks or something." The four boys woogied, and Otto, Sammy, and Scott left.

"Hey...Tell me...where we're...going already..." Iggy panted. He was riding on his bike alongside Izzy and Oliver, who were also on their own bikes.

It was clear that he wasn't fully up to speed as the trio travelled along.

"I guess since we're away from the hospital and anyone that can hear us, I can tell ya." Izzy said, glancing back at his brother. He stared ahead again. "Oliver's taking us to see this girl that can get us to the treasure faster."

"A girl?" The younger brother raised an eyebrow. "How is some girl gonna get us to the treasure?"

"She's not just any girl." Oliver started. "She's a treasure hunter. She can take through the quickest route to the treasure."

"'Treasure hunter?'" Iggy's eyes brightened. "Oh you mean like that echidna that that Otto person looks like?" He asked excitedly.

Izzy sweatdropped and sighed. "You know, it would've made a lot more sense if ya said '_Rouge_ _the Bat_' instead since she's a girl, but you're right for once."

"Yay!" The brunet in the green helmet cheered. The two older boys rolled their eyes.

"In any case, how much further do we have to go, Van Rossom? I'm getting tired over here!"

"It should be another half a mile, Lopez!" The redhead shot back. The brunet in the violet helmet gave an indignant grunt in response.

The trio was silent as they continued the rest of their journey. They biked through the town until the reached the marina. When they reached the residential area of the harbor, they skidded to a stop. Afterwards, they walked their bikes until the reached the last house on the street. It was a simple one family home. It was painted blue and had a red roof. It had two floors plus, supposedly, an attic. It was surrounded by a white picket fence.

Different types of equipment were strewn all over the yard. It seemed that all the gear was for diving, extraction, digging, and other actions. The trio blinked at the set up.

"Man, talk about messy, huh?" Iggy commented.

"No kidding." Izzy agreed, crossing his arms. He turned to Oliver. "If this treasure hunter is so great, why does she just leave her stuff lying around?"

Oliver shrugged. "I'll admit, she's a tad...untidy about her work, but she's the best option we got."

"Hmph! Fine. So where can we find her?"

Izzy's question was answered by a loud splash. Looking at each other questioningly, the group made their way through the yard and around the house. When they reached the backyard, they found that it wasn't much of a backyard at all.

There was just a small amount of land that ended with a dock. And even then, more equipment littered the land. Treading cautiously, the Lopez Brothers and Oliver crossed the lawn and walked along the tiny pier.

When they reached the end, they discovered a ladder leading into the water, which was rippling. Air bubbles were floating up to the surface. Nearby, there were several air canisters, a box that held several pieces of barnicle-encrusted trinklets, and among all things, a picnic basket.

"A picnic basket?" Izzy asked strangely. "Unless you're going fishing, who packs a picnic basket when they're not even ten feet from their home?"

Oliver and Iggy shrugged.

Izzy slapped his forehead. "Never mind."

Just then, a figure emerged from the water. The trio turned towards the end of the dock, only to discover a diver in a blue scuba suit. The person was wearing a yellow diving mask, so their identity was hidden from view. An air tank was strapped to their back. Water dripped from the suit as the diver stepped onto the dock with blue flippers to match the suit.

He or she noticed the boys and pulled up her mask revealing the face of a girl.

She had a heart-shaped face. Her nose was also upturned a bit. She had a slight tan that was a little lighter than Reggie's. Her cat-shaped eyes were fixed in a glower that was curious but at the same time, cautious.

"What do you want? I already bought cookies this year."

Iggy chuckled at that one, but Izzy wasn't amused in the least bit.

"Very funny." He said before relaxing his features. "I heard from a very reliable source--" He jerked his head in Oliver's direction. "--That you're a treasure hunter."

"Well, you heard right." said the diver, offering her right hand. "Name's Riley."

"Izzy's the name." The brunet replied taking her hand and shaking it. He then gestured towards the youngest member of the trio. "That's Iggy, my--" He grimaced slightly. "--brother."

"Hi!" The boy in question shouted, waving at her.

"And that's Oliver. I'm sure ya heard of him." He pointed at the redhead.

"Pleased to finally meet you." The one in the glasses said, reaching out his hand.

"Yes. Well, what's the nature of your expedition?" asked Riley.

"Wow, quick to business, huh? I like that." Izzy said with an impressed nod.

"Well, we're currently on a treasure hunt and..."

"You're in need of some professional guidance?" she guessed.

"Erm... Yeah. You see..." He then proceeded to explain the whole situation to Riley. When he finished, she looked highly interested.

"You've certainly come to the right person for this one," she said. "I'm actually a direct descendant of one of the pirates involved in the original burial of the treasure."

Izzy raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Really now?"

"Yes," she said, gracing them with a smile that was friendly, yet professional.

The brunet nodded in response. "Seems like you'll be more useful to us than I thought." He looked up at her. "Now then, as for your payment..."

"At least twenty percent of whatever you find, you buy the lunch."

The boy sweatdropped and cleared his throat. "Ahem. Ok. That sounds fair. Twenty percent doesn't sound too bad..." He held his chin as the thought of how he was going to split the treasure evenly popped up. He shook his head and decided to worry about it later. "Anyway, how can you figure out the fastest route for us?"

"I still have at least one of my great-great-great grandfather's maps." said Riley. "Besides, I know this harbor well."

"Excellent." Oliver spoke up. "With your expertise, we should be able to reach the treasure with no problem."

The trio turned as they heard a high-pitched meow nearby.

"Huh?"

Riley clicked her tongue a few times and a fuzzy black kitten appeared. It wore a pink rhinestone collar. "Meet my assistant, Tesoro," said Riley.

"Eeeeee!" Iggy screamed excitedly. "Kitty! Can I pet it!"

"Uh, sure," she said, suppressing a chuckle at the kid's behavior.

"Yay!" He cheered as he grabbed the kitten and stroked it lovingly.

Izzy sweatdropped and clenched a fist. "I swear, you're not my brother sometimes..." He muttered.

Oliver meanwhile, raised an eyebrow at Riley. "How is this kitten your assitant?"

"She's very curious and has a nose for finding just the right stuff," she replied.

"Half the stuff in that box is what Tess led me to."

"Like a bloodhound?"

"More or less."

"No way!" Izzy gasped, looking at the box. "SHE lead you to all this!"

Riley simply nodded.

"Amazing. Simply amazing..." He said, wiping the drool from his lips. "You're perfect for the job! You're hired!"

"Can you come with us to the docks right now?" Oliver asked.

"Not a problem." said Riley. "Just give me a minute or two to change."

"Very well. We'll meet ya at Pier Thirteen. That's where our sub is docked." Izzy said, walking away. "Let's go, Iggy!"

"Awwww..." Iggy moaned, putting down Tesoro who walked over to Riley. "Bye, Kitty..." He put on a dejected look as he followed his brother and Oliver out of the yard.

And with that, Izzy's group gained a new member.

The area modern Ocean Shores calls Explorers Park had a checkered past, of which this much was known to the general public: early in the 1900s, it had belonged to an obscure evangelical faction which had used it as a venue for various rituals. The cult died out some decades later, due to a scandal here and a taxation issue there, until eventually the parcel was seized by the county.

It was acquired at auction by a man who raised cattle, and thought that the presence of a sheltered, constantly refreshed spring there to water his livestock was rather nifty. After the beef and dairy industries became more centralized, the area passed to a descendant of the man who had other business interests. He fenced off the land, and largely left it alone to overgrow with weeds and trees.

At one time much more recently, there was a great deal of crime and upheaval, yes, eventually touching even Ocean Shores, and it was eventually discovered that a band of baddies lived in the cave, manufacturing drugs. The authorities once more seized the property, rousting the criminals and carefully cleaning out the cave. The lead officer on that investigation was a young policewoman named Shirley June. It remained closed for a number of years afterwards, until the park was dedicated only very recently.

And so it happened early one beautiful summer morning that a pickup truck pulled up and parked in a lot by the entrance of the cave, in a nicely appointed hill-side suburban park with a small playground, a restroom, and a few picnic tables. Five boys and a girl got out wearing sneakers and old combat clothes; from the bed of the truck they put on helmets with attached lights, and walked away carrying small shoulder-carried mini dive packs. By all appearances they were just a bunch of young adventurers eager to check out this new, recently opened attraction. The kids walked into the cave, a couple of them carrying a thin, long black bag between them.

The main cavern had some stalagmites and stalactites, as well as a small gallery of photos mounted on suspended partitions. But the object of their interest was the pool. But there was a warning sign by the pool:

__

USE AT YOUR OWN RISK

Do not swim past the yellow Caution signs unless you have a waterproof flashlight AND goggles or a mask. Use of the buddy system is encouraged.

COS Ord 05-31.3

"Well, I'd say we're just a little better equipped than what the law requires," Roderick announced.

"Yeah! Hang onto yer britches, bruddah; we're goin' in!" Otto replied, as the two of them turned their lights on, donned their masks, and entered the water. They extracted the mouthpieces and started breathing from the dive packs, then descended beneath the surface.

Swimming while fully clothed was... _interesting_, the gang noted. They made their way through the tunnel and crossed beyond the Caution signs. Otto counted four lights following behind himself and Roderick. Good. In the shadows they could see little flecks of eerie green light.

The sixsome emerged from the water at the other side. "GAH! GIANT HANDS!" gasped Twister as he spat out his mouthpiece, pointing directly up. Scott followed Twister's head lamp beam to find, sure enough, the fingers and palms of two enormous outstretched stone hands.

"No doubt built by that sect," Sam noted.

Scott spoke. "Okay. I had us bring this bag in here because the Lasers, or whatever entity might be in operation of them, might attempt to access this cave system. My bag here contains a number of weapons I was able to locate on short notice. I didn't want to exactly show them off in public in the lot. They may alo be useful in clearing _...inorganic_ obstructions as well. I have already earlier selected a weapon and am carrying it right now."

The others turned their attention to the black nylon case. Reggie saw a canister of pepper spray, which she strapped to her thigh at hand level. Twister eyed a side-handled truncheon and stuck it in his belt, Otto and Sam each picked up a set of rice flailers, and Roderick picked a small katana. "Everybody okay with what we've got?" asked Scott. "It's all I was able to find."

The others looked at each other and nodded. "I hope we don't need to use...What are _you_ carrying, Scott?" asked Reggie, curious but concerned.

"You really want to know?" replied Scott, unbuttoning a side pocket on his trousers. He extracted a plastic bag containing a small gunlike device, shining his light on it. then put it back. "An electric shock pistol. Picked it up in Tijuana. I'd hate the thought of one of those Laser dorks hurting one of you. But desperate circumstances require decisive preparation. Can we have a sound check on our helmet radios, please?" he asked, changing the subject.

All the units clicked "OK."

"Alright," Otto spoke up. "Let me turn this lantern on, so we can conserve our helmet lights. Sam, you got that metal detector?"

"Sure thing, Ottoman," replied Sam.

"You might want to set it for brass or bronze. That's what the key is made of," noted Scott.

The electric lantern gave off an eerie bluewhite glow and the others shut off their helmet lights. Otto passed glow-stick lanyards to the others, which gave a kind of raveish mood to the tasks at hand.

Sam started walking carefully around the room, the sensor held at arms length. Twister did likewise with his camera, searching for a difference in the background infrared emissions. Twister saw something in his viewfinder that made him stop dead in his tracks. The image was large, solid, and rectangular. "Over here, guys!" Twist urged. Sam's metal detector went monkeypoo on approaching whatever it was.

"If we see _that_--but it sees _this," _Otto reckoned..

"...It means _that's_ gotta be fake," - Twister surmised. Handing the camera off to Reggie, he extracted the truncheon from his belt and prepared to tap the wall with it. But he stepped aside and tripped, hitting the wall headfirst. "Whoa! OOOOWWW!" - cried Twister, sitting on the ground, grabbing his head with both hands. Under normal circumstances, all the gang would have run to check on him; but right now they were looking in awe at something unbelievable.

"That's..." - said Rod.

"Holy..." - added Otto.

"Unbelievable!" - Sam provided.

Twister, in spite of the pain he was in, opened his eyes and looked up curiously. To his surprise, a large hole had been made on the wall, right on the spot he had hit it with his head! "OW... Hey, what happened?" - asked Twister, stopping rubbing his head.

"Talk about a hard head!" - answered Reggie - "You discovered the entrance, Twist!"

"I did?" - asked Twister, scratching his head in disbelief.

"Yeah, you did, buddy! Apparently you hit the keystone, and it caused this fake section of the wall to collapse! Now we only need to open that door. It was easier than I thought!" - said Scott, helping Twister get on his feet.

Scotty and Sam approached to the door. It was an old, rusted metallic door like the ones you might expect to see in a ship's hold. Save for some reinforcing rivets, the only feature of that door was a large keyhole at the right. Scott and Sam looked at each other for a moment. Sam nodded, and Scott pulled the old key from one of his pockets. He inserted the key on the keyhole, and to his surprise it fitted perfectly. He had some trouble making the key turn - the door had been closed for over 300 years, after all. But, after struggling with the key for some moments, he finally succeded in making it turn. The kids could hear the rusty lock as its old mechanism moved.

"I think we made it, buddies!" - said Scott, pushing on the door. But, to his surprise, the door wouldn't open.

"What the...?"

Scott pushed and pulled with all his strength, but it was useless. The door seemed to be welded to the frame. Sam, always the analytical kid, observed that the hinges seemed to have stuck with rust. He remembered one particular can of spray he had packed in the bag, and reached for it. "Here, Scott. Maybe we could use this thing" - said Sam, holding a can of spray oil in his hand.

"Good idea, Sammy!"

Sam pointed the can to the hinges and put a generous layer of oil on them. According to the instructions on the label, that should help loosen the hinges. After that, Sam and Scott began pushing the door again (it had not a handle, so it had to open to the inside)

It semed the oil had failed. The rest of the kids were looking, and thought they might need to help their buddies.

But suddenly...

A creaking noise could be heard. Otto, Twister, Reggie and Rod turned and saw in horror how the door opened, revealing a black hole behind it. The door opened so suddenly that Scott and Sam lost their balance and fell inside the cave! The kids saw in horror how the door closed back again, moved by a hidden spring of sorts, trapping their friends inside the dark cave!


	17. Into the Cave

The Elusive Treasure

Chapter Seventeen

Into The Cave

Inside the cave, Scotty and Sam were stunned, lying on the ground. It was ink black there; not a single atom of light could be seen. The air was heavy and smelled like stagnant water, and they could feel slime under their hands.

"Ugh! What happened?" - asked Sam, sitting and adjusting his glasses - "Where... where are we?"

"The door opened and we fell inside, Sam" - said Scott - "It seems the door was protected with a spring; it closed back when we fell in."

"Y...y...y...you m...m...mean... we... are... trapped?" Sam was terrified and so nervous that his knees were trembling. He was biting his fingernails. He thought they were doomed.

"You alright bud?" asked Scotty, holding his glow stick towards Sam's voice.

"Y... yeah... I think. Nothing broken... But... it's... too dark in here!"

"We can fix that quickly enough," replied Scott as he reached for Sammy's helmet, switching on his helmet light.

Sam, confused at first, remembered he was wearing a helmet with a light fitted on it. He blushed and grinned, slightly embarrassed, but very relieved.

"Heh. heh... forgot about those... Thanks a lot, Scott!" - said Sam.

Now that they had light, they looked around. Sam noticed the spring holding the door in place. He realized a rusted pin held the spring to the wall. He managed to remove the pin.

"There. That should prevent the door from closing behind us again... if we ever get to open it!" - said Sam - "We should look for some sort of lever here, so we can open the door."

"A lever. Perhaps Twister could use that baton, from the outside," suggested Scott as he keyed his radio. "Guys, we're okay all things considered. Twister, could you use that baton to pry open the door? Over," queried Scott.

The radio crackled with static. It was evident that the huge walls and that door blocked the signal.

"It seems... we are alone here!" - Sam gulped.

The boy looked around, very scared. But he knew he had to control himself. He gulped again, and began looking around the cave, pointing his light to the walls and floor. Suddenly, a white object hanging from a wall caught his eye.

He turned to illuminate that object again, and to his horror he found it was a skeleton, handcuffed and hanging from a ring in the wall!

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Sam screamed at the top of his lungs. He didn't know when (or how) he managed to jump on Scott's arms.

Outside the door, the four kids were struggling to push the door open, when they heard Sam scream. They looked at each other for a moment, and continued pushing the door with all their might.

"Hm, so we found old Fortunato's final resting place," commented Scott as he let Sam down to the floor. "And from the looks of it, old Montresor didn't fare much better," Scott said, pointing to a skeleton on its belly on the floor, with a sword in its back. A belt was all that remained of whatever he had worn, on it, was a set of keys. He retrieved the sword. "Cutlass, late 17th to early 18th century. A handy weapon in its day." He returned to the door, and attempted to pry it open with it.

Sammy was glued to Scott's back, trembling and biting his nails in fear. He couldn't take his eyes off the skeletons. Something told him they were not completely alone inside that cave.

"A...and who... are those guys? How... do you know their names?" - asked, trying to think of something else to control his fear.

He was looking at Scott, but he thought he saw something - someone - standing by the skeletons. He turned, and all he could see were the two bodies.

"This is weird" - he thought out loud - "I... I would've sworn I saw Twister standing by those skeletons... He was wearing only a ragged pair of pants and a red bandana on his head, but I'm sure he was Twister... What does it mean?"

"Oh. The names? From an old story by Poe. And Twister is outside, fully clothed in a set of desert cammies," reassured Scott. "I landed kind of hard. You might want to check your radio," Scott suggested, trying to refocus Sammy.

Scott was examining the door, trying to find a place to wedge the cutlass so he could use it as a lever, while Sam checked his radio. "No use" - he said - "I only get static. That door must be blocking the signal"

Outside the cave...

"All right, guys! All together, one more time!" - said Rod, as he and the rest of the kids prepared to ram the door - "One... two..."

Inside the cave...

Scott thought he found a small crevice. He and Sam stood out of the way of the door, and prepared to use the lever. But before that, they removed the pin that held the spring.

"THREE!"

Scott and Sam had no time to step out of the way. The four kids rammed the door, which, without the support of the spring, gave way easily under their weight and opened completely.

The four kids couldn't stop; they all fell inside the cave, knocking Sam and Scott to the ground for the second time.

"WHOA!" - cried Sam - "Not again!"

After a couple of seconds, the dust settled, revealing a confusing mountain of bodies lying on the ground. All the kids had fallen on each other, and were somewhat stunned.

"Everybody okay?" asked Scott, helping untangle the human mess. "Wonder why they designed it that way. Any idea?"

"Well... I think it was a booby trap, Scott" - said Sam, dusting himself as he stood - "If somebody found the door and didn't know about the spring, would be trapped here forever. I wouldn't have noticed the spring on the wall, were not for that strange kid I told you about. I know this sounds crazy, but... I swear I saw Twister, or a kid looking remarkably like Twister, pointing to the wall. When I looked to the place, I saw the spring; and the next moment the kid had disappeared!"

"Well, as Roderick has so wisely forewarned us," Scott observed, patting the young Dutchman on the shoulder, "we're dealing with forces beyond our comprehension. But the forces we can bring to bear together are pretty formidable too."

"This gives credence to my dream!" uttered Twister, as Reggie steadied his shoulder.

"Relax, guys! You are just nervous!" - said Reggie - "Now, we better move. But first let's make sure this door won't close behind us."

The kids piled many pounds of rocks in front of the opened door - the same rocks that made the wall that covered the door. After some minutes, it was impossible for the door to move.

"Ok, guys! Let's go!" - said Reggie.

The whole party turned their helmet lights on and followed the tunnel, walking carefully.

As they proceeded, a small figure materialized behind them. It was a young boy wearing ragged pants and a bandana. His face had an expression of hope and worry. He looked as the kids ventured into the cave.

"Good luck, kids" - he muttered before disappearing again.

Meanwhile, an old brown Mazda struggled to get as near as possible to the cave in the Grody estate, but it was really difficult due to the mud.

The two teenagers accompanying Lars and Pi had to push the car for most of the way, until Josh told them to stop.

"All right, guys! The cave is right there, behind those bushes"

"Good" - said Lars, in a hollow, scary voice - "You sure this is the same cave we were talking about?"

"Of course I am!" - said Josh - "I've been exploring this cave ever since my family moved in here three years ago, and I've found several passages which apparently lead to an underground stream or river of sorts.

"There is a larger tunnel, but it's blocked with rocks and what looks like a stone wall."

"Very well" - said Lars - "That is the tunnel we are interested on. Take us there, kid!"

Josh smiled as he took a flashlight from the trunk. He entered the cave in front of the Lasers, who followed close behind with a lot of equipment in their hands. He guided the party for several tens of meters, until they reached what looked like a narrow tunnel carved in the rock. It was damp and moist, and smelled of stagnant water.

Josh was very excited with the adventure, and didn't notice some... subtle changes that occurred to Lars as he approached the tunnel. But the more they ventured into the grotto, the crueler, harder seemed his expression.

Finally, after some fifteen minutes of walking with difficulty in that tunnel, they reached a stone wall blocking the passage.

"See? I told you this tunnel was blocked, Lars! I think there is another chamber some meter back..."

"NO, there_ is _no other chamber, kid" - said Lars in a very hollow voice - "This is the tunnel we were looking for."

"Oh, yeah? And how do you plan to pass through that wall? It's made of solid rocks!"

"Easy, kid. Look."

Lars put his hand on a certain rock of the wall, and a deafening noise was heard.

Josh saw in awe as the wall, which he thought was so solid and resistant, crumbled to the ground as if a bulldozer had hit it.

"Whoa! How did you do that?"

"Easy, kid. I designed this wall" - said Lars.

"You did? I thought it was a lot older. Anyway; we should go in that cave and recover the treasure!"

Josh was rubbing his hands in greed and made to enter the cave, but was held by Lars.

"Not so fast, kiddo. I've been waitin' tae recover that treasure for over 300 years now. I killed my little brother Felipe, who wasn't much older than you, just because he wanted to hide that treasure from me, and I'll not be lettin' a nosy brat like you put his filthy hands on my gold! "

Lars motioned Pi to take care of Josh. Pi, who had already prepared a long rope, wrapped it around Josh's body, immobilizing him so fast that the kid didn't even know what happened to him until it was too late.

"What the? Hey, what are you doing? LET ME GO!"

It was useless. Soon Josh was on the ground, immobilized with those sturdy ropes. The Lasers (or, better said, the entities that had possessed them) stood in front of him, looking at him with red eyes and evil smiles.

"Now, listen carefully, kiddo" - said "Lars"

"Yer gunna be stayin' here. If ye'r lucky, someone_ might _help you. If not... well... you just might end up keepin' company to Felipe. Now, let's get going, gentlemen! Our treasure awaits us!"

"Lars" and his team entered the tunnel, leaving Josh, tear-eyed and sobbing, lying in the dark in that cave.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

A couple of hours later, Riley was walking along the pier. Tesoro was perched on her shoulder. The treasure hunter was wearing a pair of acid washed jeans, a blue surfer tee shirt, and a pair of flip-flops.

Her honey colored hair, which went down to her shoulders, wavered in the foreboding breeze as she neared Pier Thirteen.She was wearing a backpack that was filled with her equipment, and now able to make out the yellow submarine and its crew, who was loading cargo and gear into it. When she stepped on the dock, she noticed Izzy and Iggy yelling at each other over something. The crew ignored them as they launched into yet another fist fight. Riley, having just met the brothers, sweatdropped at the sight.

Tesoro also had a similar reaction. They both looked at each other with expressions of foreboding.

"Do you have the feeling we agreed to go on a doomed expedition, girl?" The brunette asked.

"Meow." The feline replied with a nod. Riley gulped as walked towards the feuding siblings, who had just finished their latest scrap.

"So, I see you guys had a nice workout." She remarked when she reached them.

"Take...it...back..." Izzy panted warningly to his brother.

"No...way..." Iggy breathed.

They both huffed and puffed as they glared at each other, fists held up. Their eyes were full of rage as they each thought up their next move. They growled at each other dangerously.

"I'll give you one more chance. Take back what ya said!"

"No way! I know what I saw!" The younger brother retorted. "You can't tell me you haven't been feeling it too!"

"I don't need you to tell me what I can or can't feel! You're crazy!"

"I'm telling ya, bro! That mushroom's really haunted by something freaky!" Iggy shouted. Izzy gritted his teeth in a mixture of defeat and annoyance. Not knowing what to say to his brother, he simply grunted and crossed his arms.

"Hmph! Whatever." He then noticed Riley and put on a smirk. "Well, I was wondering when you were gonna show up." He walked over to her, followed by Iggy, who had a wide, toothy grin on his face.

"Hi, Kitty!" He screamed, waving at Tesoro. He then turned to Riley. "Can I pet her, please?" He asked, putting his hands together. The treasure hunter sweatdropped again and looked at her partner, who nodded.

"Alright..." She said with a shrug. She picked the black ball of fluff off her shoulders and handed her to the excited boy. "Just be careful with her, ok?"

"Ok!" Iggy's grin widened as he carefully took the kitten in his arms and began stroking her gently for the second time that day.

"Let me guess. Never had a pet?" Riley asked Izzy, who held his forehead in exasperation.

"Well, we used to have some hamsters..." He replied. "But that was years ago."

"Oh. What happened to them?"

Izzy shuddered. "Believe me, you don't wanna know."

Riley's eyes widened in shock.

"Anyway, ready to get this show on the road?" The brunet asked.

"Uhhh... Yeah..." The female answered, getting over her fright.

"Well, that's everything." Oliver said, emerging from the hatch. "Ah! I see our treasure hunter has arrived."

"Hello again." Riley waved at the redhead.

"Enough small talk. This little treasure hunt ends today." Izzy declared, walking towards the sub. "Let's get moving, everybody!"

"Alright!" Iggy cheered, standing up. "Come on, Kitty. We're going to take a little trip."

"Meow." Tesoro mewed as she was carried towards the submersible.

As Riley followed her clients, an ill wind blew, causing her to shake slightly. She looked up at the sky, which became a dark gray. She gave a quizzical look. Wasn't it clear just a moment ago?

"I got a bad feeling about this." She commented. She shook her head and entered the sub.

A few moments passed before the hatch was closed and the submarine sank beneath the waves.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"This is so boring..." Iggy complained.

It had been half an hour since the expedition started. The Lopez Brothers, Riley, and Tesoro were in the captain's quarters, the same exact place where the younger of the siblings had his vision. The brunet, not petting the kitten anymore, was sprawled on the couch in a tired position. Riley was sitting at the desk, examining the map. Her partner was sleeping on the floor nearby.

Izzy was standing by the room's only window with his arms behind his back. His eyes were narrowed in extreme thought. It was clear what was on his mind. He was so close to victory, but there were still several obstacles in his way.

His first and foremost concern was Sam and his group. Did they already reach the treasure? If not, can he and his brother claim it before the other two groups? Will they find a quick path to where the treasure's hidden?

Well, that shouldn't be a concern. After all, he has an experienced, or so Oliver told him, treasure hunter on his side. Still... She seemed to be barely older than him. Can she really perform to his expectations?

Izzy shook his head. This wasn't the best time to act pessimistic. Besides, it was too late to turn back. He was going have to trust her.

Another worry was the visions he and his brother experienced. It's idiotic to think that he was being haunted by a ghost. Even more so that Lars was some pirate bent on getting to the treasure before his and Sam's respective groups.

And yet... _Those visions were so real... It practically felt like he was standing in the middle of a plain shrouded in shadows. And when that skeleton appeared..._

Izzy gulped. The pain he felt was beyond torture. He shook his head and retained his usual glower. He wasn't going to let a few bad dreams stand between him and glory! He will get that treasure at all costs, ghost or no ghost!

"Hey, Izzy was it?" Riley's voice broke into his thoughts. The boy blinked and turned towards her.

"Yeah? What is it?"

"I think I found the shortest possible route we can take to reach your treasure." She replied. Izzy gave her a small grin in response.

"Good. Let me see." He walked over to the desk.

"Here, I marked the cave with a blue circle." Riley told him as he studied the map. Izzy held his chin and nodded.

"This seems to be pretty close to where that cave in occurred yesterday." He commented.

"Speaking of which, while that's the quickest route compared to other caves nearby, it's a lot more unstable than the others." She warned. "We should take one of the safer routes."

"Ugh... I heard the same thing from Van Rossom earlier!" He roared. "It can't be _that_ bad! We're taking that route!"

"But we can cause a cave-in!" The treasure hunter argued.

"Look! We can avoid a cave-in if we go slowly. Since it's the quickest route, it shouldn't mess up our time."

Riley sighed. He had a good point.

"Fine, we'll do it your way." She conceded. "But you better not get us killed."

"Relax, I know exactly what I'm doing." Izzy waved a dismissive hand. He looked at the map again. "Hmmm... Better go tell Oliver the plan." He walked towards the door.

"Hang on. We're going with you." Riley said. She clicked her tongue as she reached the boy. Tesoro gave a meow as she got up, padded over to her partner, and hopped on her shoulder.

"Hey, you coming?" The male asked his brother, who looked up from his place on the sofa.

"Nah." Iggy replied lazily. "I won't even understand what you guys are talking about."

"Eh, that's true..." Izzy mumbled, holding his chin. "Anyway, since you're staying behind, guard the mushroom." The younger brunet's eyes widened in pure fear as he followed his brother's outstretched finger to his backpack, where the fungus in question was hidden.

"Th-th-the mushroom...?" He gulped, shuddering.

"Yep. See ya in a few--"

"WAIT!.!.!" Iggy screamed, clinging to his brother in fright. "DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE WITH THAT THING!.!.!"

"Iggy! What is your malfunction _this_ time?.!" The older brother demanded, trying to pry him off.

"I don't wanna guard that mushroom again!" The smaller boy answered. "Don't you remember what happened last time!.?"

"Last time..." Izzy blinked and gave his brother a sheepish look. "Oh yeah! Heh, heh... Sorry about that."

"You _forgot_!.?.!" Iggy demanded hotly as he watched his brother grab the backpack and put it on.

"What!.? I've had a lot on mind lately!" The taller boy retorted as they all left the room.

"So you forgot that I was put into the hospital because of that stupid thing!.?"

"Like I said, I had a lot on my mind!"

"So beating Sam is more important than my health!.?"

"I never said that!" Izzy roared as they moved through the hall. Riley and Tesoro watched the exchange in confusion.

"Well ya might as well have! I can't believe you!"

"Listen you little brat, I can care less about that blond fool! Got it!.?"

"Hmph!" Iggy turned away with his arms crossed.

"Pfft! Whatever." Izzy grunted as they reached the hatch for the control room.

Like yesterday, he turned the lock and entered, followed by his disgruntled brother, the treasure hunter, and her partner.

When the hatch closed behind them, the group was able to see the beautiful sights of the harbor's depths. The room was dim, illuminated only by the submarine's lights and the equipment in the room. Oliver turned towards his fellow teammates and raised an eyebrow.

"What happened to _him_?" He asked, noticing the look of anger on Iggy's face. The brunet gave a distinct huff and turned away.

"It's none of _your_ concern." Izzy told him. He then held up the map. "We know which cave to use now."

He then showed the redhead the map. Oliver studied it for a few moments before nodding.

"Alright. I believe my associates and I have explored that cave before. We shouldn't have any problems navigating it."

"Ha! See? I told you there was nothing to worry about!" Izzy bragged to Riley, who stuck her tongue out in response.

"Anyway, we're nearing the cave." Oliver said. "We must be as silent as possible. The helmsman needs to concentrate on steering a safe course. Were we to strike a wall, we could easily be doomed."

The others (even Iggy) gulped at the warning.

"S-s-s-s-so it's really hard to navigate after all?" Izzy asked, trembling slightly.

"No, but like I said, it's easy to lose your concentration, so keep silent!" Oliver hissed.

"After knowing you for a short while, that probably should go double for you two." Riley remarked, earning herself a glare from both brothers.

"Oh _everybody's_ a comedian today, huh?" Izzy shot back. "Why don't we set up a stage right here while we're at it?"

"Yeah!" Iggy agreed.

"QUIET!.!.!" Oliver roared. "We're almost inside."

The sub was about to enter the cavern when a thought came up.

"WOAH! Stop the sub!"

°Sceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech!.!.!°

°CRASH!.!.!°

"YEOW!.!.!" Everybody yelped as they were thrown down to the floor by the force of the sudden stop. Everybody groaned as they tried to recollect themselves. As soon as everybody got up, they sent Iggy, who had made the order, a death glare.

"Uhhhh... Heh, heh, heh... Oops?" The boy sweatdropped under their stares.

Izzy, being the closest, promptly grabbed him by the throat and pulled him towards him.

"I'm gonna ask you one simple question." He hissed dangerously. "WHY'D YOU ORDER THIS TUB TO STOP!.?.!"

"Be-be-be-be-be-because I just thought of something!" Iggy sputtered.

"It better be good!" The older one roared, letting go. The younger sibling breathed hard for a couple minutes before relaxing.

"Whew... Anyway, if we're going up against Mr. Lars and Sam's groups, won't we need some kinda protection or something?"

Izzy blinked in response to that innocent sounding question and turned to Oliver.

"I never thought I'd say this, but he's got a good point. What are we supposed to do if we run into them and they try something?"

"Well, if worst comes to worst, Tesoro can always defend us." Riley spoke up. Everybody else gave her a weirded out look.

"You're kidding, right? How is _that_ little furball supposed to protect us against them!.?"

"Here, I'll show you." The treasure gave the elder Lopez Brother an evil smirk. "Tesoro, attack!"

"Rrrrrrreeeeeooooowwwww!.!.!" The cat hissed.

"Oh please! That little thing couldn't harm a--"

That was all he got out before Tesoro let out a terrifying screech and clung herself to Izzy's face.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!.!.! GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OFF ME!.!.!" He screamed, running around the whole room.

"Ok, Tesoro! Come back." Riley called. Hearing the command, Tesoro retracted her claws, jumped off Izzy, and ran back to her.

"Awww... What a good kitty..." Iggy praised, scratching the cat behind her ear.

Izzy meanwhile, glared at the treasure hunter. His face was covered with various scratches. He shook a fist at all three of them.

"That was NOT funny!"

The rest of the crew struggled to stifle their snickers at the sight of the boy. The brunet slapped his forehead and muttered several obscenities. He then turned to Oliver.

"Weapons, NOW!.!.!"

"Erm... Well, seeing as we're explorers we--" He gulped as his irate partner fixed him with a cold glare. "--Don't have any?"

Izzy stomped towards him.

"I-I-I mean, we have some right there!" The redhead cowered, pointing towards a closet that was near the room's only exit.

The brunet stopped his advance, but never let his glower leave him.

"_Good..._" He hissed, stomping over to the closet. "Now let's see what we got here."

He grabbed the handle and pulled.

Izzy pulled open the door to reveal...

"What!.?" He gasped. "Scented candles!.?"

Indeed, the closet was filled to the brim with candles of different colors. He instantly slammed the door and glared at the camera.

"BOSS!"

(Prince Izzy X: What? Can't take a joke?)

"You know I can't! Change it to something else now!"

(Prince Izzy X: °Sighs° Fine. Sour puss. °Snaps fingers°)

A puff of smoke emanated from the closet. It wafted through the air for a few moments before dissipating. Izzy once again grabbed the handle.

"Now once again, let's see what we got."

He pulled it open to reveal...

"WHAT!.?.!"

Inside was every type of gun imagined! Everything from your everyday handguns to bazookas to rocket launchers were inside. He promptly slammed the door, nearly throwing it off its hinges and stared at the camera with a blood-filled lust.

"Oh no ya don't! Change it!"

(Prince Izzy X: What!.? Don't you want an edge?.!)

"If you complained when Scott pulled a _revolver_ in the rough draft, what makes you think you can get away with _that_!.? Use something else and this time, be realistic!"

Once again, smoke came out of the closet. The brunet, fed up beyond all belief, gripped the handle.

"I hate it when we have to break the fourth wall." He mumbled before pulling.

The door opened, revealing...

"Whew..." Everybody breathed a sigh of relief. "_Finally!_"

Inside was a small assortment of close range weaponry. There was a bo staff, some kendo sticks, a couple of plastic shields, which were much smaller than the kind police officers use, and helmets, pepper spray, and air guns.

Izzy sweatdropped.

"What are we, cops?" He shook his head. "Alright, I guess this'll have to do." He turned to Oliver, Iggy, and Riley. "Suit up!"

"Hey! What about us!.?" The rest of the crew protested.

"Oh don't worry." The leader waved a dismissive hand. "We'll only need a handful of you and even then, you'll only be in the background, so you won't mean squat to the overall flow of the story."

Everybody glared at Izzy for that one. He immediately noticed and glowered at them.

"What?.!"

"_'I hate it when we have to break the fourth wall!'_" Riley mimicked his voice. "Does that ring a bell!.?"

"Oops..."

"Ugh!" Everybody groaned.

"Ok, so I made one little mistake! Sheesh! Let's just get everything together already!"

And so, the four main members of Izzy's party grabbed what they could get out of the supply closet. Both Lopez Brothers picked the kendo sticks, Riley took the bo staff, and Oliver grabbed a couple of air guns. They each grabbed a helmet and a shield for protection. They all examined their weapons and found them to be sufficient.

Then came an announcement from the Sea Crest's first officer: "Successful entry. Stand by to surface. Welcome to the Glory Hole, gentlemen... uh, and lady."

"Ok. Now that we're, at long freakin' last, ready..." Izzy started. "Let's get that treasure!"

With that, the submarine and its eager crew entered the cavern.


	18. Lunch Break

The Elusive Treasure

Chapter Eighteen

Lunch Break

The kids came to a wide spot in the corridor. "Let's stop and sit for a few," suggested Scott. In the dim light of their fluorescent lantern they could see a large, flat rock, almost like a table, or a bench.

"Yeah," agreed Reggie. "We've been pressing on for quite a bit. Might as well grab a bite to eat. Anybody bring something?" she asked.

"Actually we all did," Scott replied. "I packed a large Evian and an MRE for each of you in your packs..."

"MRE? What's an MRE?" asked Roderick.

"A 'meal, ready-to-eat.' A kind of high-tech sack lunch for combat troops. It'll be that brown plastic bag..." The others quickly found the objects to which Scott was referring. "You can open them up with a knife or a pair of scissors, and inside you'll find packages of cooked meat, pasta, or other entrees in plastic pouches. Other separate pouches contain large crackers, cheese, peanut butter, or other condiments according to each meal's menu."

"Hey, this is actually pretty good!" Sammy commented.

"Mine too," agreed Otto.

"I'll trade somebody my cheese for a peanut butter," offered Reggie.

"You can have mine," offered Scott.

While the kids were having their lunch, another entity watched them, hidden in the dark.

"Heh. I like those guys. They really make a good team"

Felipe was thinking on the events of his life as he watched the kids gleefully chattering.

"Heh. That kid they call Twister... it's identical to me! I thought I was looking at my reflection the first time I saw him. Too bad I couldn't communicate with him." sighs _"I hope these kids are successful. Or even those other guys I managed to contact in their dream; how were they named? . . . Ah, yeah; the Lopez brothers. I hope any of these teams get to the chest first. If that guy Lars gets it... shudders ... Lorenzo would get really powerful, and he could bring a lot of destruction to this world. Not to mention that Lars' soul, and those of his friends, would be lost forever...Anyway; It's been a really long wait. How long has it been? Man, almost 300 years! But, if they beat Lorenzo to the chest, I will finally be free! I hope I can help them somehow... and protect them from Lorenzo."_

sighs 

Meanwhile, in another tunnel, a second, evil entity watched with a crooked smile on his face as a group of older teens struggled to get past yet another blockage.

"These brats are so slow! I should've picked another crew, but must admit this guy, Lars, has... something. I don't know what; but one thing is for sure. Give him a good haircut and dress him in decent clothes...And he would be my living picture!"

Lorenzo wished the teens could move faster. But he knew that, if he wanted to have another body to help him carry out the chest, he would have to make certain concessions to it.

"Oh, well. I've waited for over 300 years now... I surely can wait for a few more hours. Time isn't important to me, after all."

"I never thought I would see these caves again. They look the same as when we hid the treasure here... but there's something here... another... presence... I wonder..."

Lorenzo looked around for some moments, and then a crooked, cruel smile appeared on his face.

"Yeah... I knew it. That little, no-good rat Felipe is here too. I haven't seen the brat since that fateful day. He has been one of the reasons for my eternal punishment. But if I get my hands on that treasure again... I'll make sure neither of these kids leave the cave alive. That way Felipe will have plenty of company. I must look after him; after all, he was my little brother... muahahahaha!"

Lorenzo noticed that the teens had finally cleared the blockage and were proceeding into the tunnel.

"Good. Lars is really resourceful. It will be interesting having a body again... too bad his soul will have to be jousted out of it. But I don't give a damn for it."

Lorenzo accompanied the teens as they walked.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Get the lead out already!" Izzy roared, tapping his foot impatiently.

He, Iggy, and Riley had just climbed out of the submarine's hatch. The cave was completely dark. If it wasn't for the sub's headlights, it would be pitch black. The trio seemed to be waiting on Oliver.

"We'll be right there!" The redhead's voice was heard. "Just give us a sec!"

"A sec!.?.! Do you know how far Blondie and his flunkies could be by now!.?.!"

"'Blondie?'" Riley asked, raising an eyebrow at the brunet.

"He means Sammy-Sam Dullard." Iggy clarified, turning towards her. He was holding Tesoro in his arms. He petted the ebony cat as Izzy raised his own eyebrow at him.

"'Sammy-Sam?' I swear, you make absolutely zero sense sometimes." He shook his head in mild annoyance.

Iggy stuck his tongue out at him.

"But bro, I don't wanna call him names." He said.

"Hmph!" The older brother crossed his arms. "From now on, you're gonna refer to him as 'Blondie,' 'Idiot,' 'Dork,' and anything else I can think of. Got it?"

"Got it." The smaller brunet replied, sighing as he went back to pampering Tesoro, who mewed slightly.

Izzy turned to the sub again. "_Today_, Van Rossom! I'm not getting any younger over here!"

"Alright already! We're coming out now!" Oliver's voice replied.

Moments later, he climbed out of the sub's hatch, followed by a small group of adult sailors. Like Izzy, Iggy, and Riley, they were all wearing backpacks. They were also armed with a small amount of weapons.

"What's with the goon squad?" The female of the group asked.

"The 'goon squad,' as you so eloquently put it, will serve as our bodyguards." Oliver replied as the sailors lined up and saluted the kids. "After all, we _are_ dealing with two diverse and strong groups. It helps if we have a little muscle on our side, don't you think?"

"I guess..." Riley answered with a shrug.

Izzy, however, smirked evilly. "So these guys will protect us if that dork or Lars' groups pull something, huh?" He snickered as he rubbed his hands. "I like the way you think, Van Rossom."

"Hey, we better get going, bro." Iggy said.

The older brother nodded. "Right." He turned to his teammates. "Alright! Let's move out, gentlemen--"

"Ahem!" The treasure hunter interrupted. Izzy turned to her and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"And ladies. Heh, heh..."

He turned around, pulled a flashlight out of his pocket, turned it on, and started walking into the cave. The others grabbed their own flashlights and lanterns before following.

As Izzy's group entered the cave, Riley tied a sea green bandanna around her forehead, no doubt in homage to her ancestry. She was whistling a tune that sounded like _"Fifteen men on a dead man's chest/yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum."_

The first several minutes of the trek were uneventful. Suddenly, Riley's attention was caught by Iggy's scream.

Lying across the cave path was a skeleton with a sword in its back, a holster still around its waist.

Riley bent to better examine the grisly sight. Her eyes grew wide as she noticed the small dragon emblem on the holster and sword handle.

"My family's coat of arms," she said softly.

The treasure hunter fished under the neck of her t-shirt, then extracted a thin gold chain. A gold dragon identical to the one on the dead pirate's effects dangled from it. The charm was no more than half an inch long. Riley began to mutter things like "Dead men tell no tales" and a few other pirate phrases.

Without warning, Tesoro wriggled out of Iggy's arms. She gave the same shriek she'd uttered before attacking Izzy. This time, she ran for Riley, who didn't see the attack coming. She gave a soft hiss of pain as the cat's paw scraped across her jaw. Tesoro spat at her before running back to Iggy.

"What was that all about, missy!.?" the treasure hunter snapped at her partner. Riley wiped the blood off her face with the back of her hand.

"I thought that thing only attacked on command," said Izzy.

"Usually," said Riley. "She just freaked out on me."

The group moved on after the girl recomposed herself.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The gang was about halfway through their meal when Sam asked something. "I don't mean anything by this, and please don't take this the wrong way, but, why do we do what we do?"

Otto looked at Sam quizzically. Sam continued, "I mean...the games, the competition, expeditions, trips... I've kind of been meaning to ask this since we were in New Zealand. Don't get me wrong; moving into this town and becoming friends with you, Reggie, and Twister has been, generally speaking, probably the best opportunity I'll ever have."

"Mine as well," offered Roderick.

"Yeah! What he said," added Scott.

Reg was about to answer, but Otto drew a long breath and began, "I guess it has a lot to do with our late birth mother, Danielle. Me and Reg would hear stories about her from Raymundo every so often, and the general impression I always came away with was that she was a special person who did great things. After Dad and Noelani got married, Noelani would tell us more about her. It was like all these different pieces of a puzzle finally coming together, and when it comes together it's like one of those neat pictures hanging in the Louvre. But with us, it sort of runs in the family...our dad being a legendary surfing pioneer and outdoorsman, our mom being a champion surfer and underwater treasure-seeker."

"One of the messages I got from her life was to always strive to be the best you could be," Reg elaborated.

"Yeah," Otto replied. "And it also has a lot to do with where we live. There's a lot of opportunities for activity...surfing, skating, blading, hockey. Always an opportunity to do something cool."

"Ever think of what might happen? Something really cool you'd like to do in the future?" Scott asked.

"One of these days I'm gunna climb the biggest mountain in the whole wide world!" Otto bubbled. "And all of you can come with me. Just be sure to bring your snowboards along though, 'cus that's how we're getting back down the mountain!"

"Heh, That sounds great, Ottoman!" - said Roderick - "I also have a dream. I want to become a famous rally racer like my dad, and race all over the world. I also want to become a mechanical engineer and be a black belt. I want to meet my folks in the Netherlands, and... heh... a lot of things." - he blushed. "Sorry for the over-enthusiasm, guys; it's only that I can't help getting excited about the future. That's something I promised to my parents and to myself when I was in the hospital."

"That's cool, bro," commented Twister as he continued filming. Through the viewfinder of his camera, he now saw an additional image to the five people before him. Was it some sort of infrared anomaly? _"Hum. What's that thing? It seems to be standing between Rod and Sam." _- thought Twister, looking carefully through his viewfinder

"The Zine's my baby," Reggie started. "Everything I'm about, it's about, and I can see it continuing in some form even if my education takes me to some other line of work. But I've learned a lot about business and journalism as it is..."

"A lot of good points there," commented Twister. "But I think _we're_ kind of special for being as interested as we are in the things we do. And at some point, say when we're thirty or forty or fifty years old, we can tell our kids about the things we did, 'Someone did that. We were the first.'" Twister gasped at the scope of his thought. Quickly, he turned to Scott. "Uh, ..Scott, what's it like?...what's it like to be..._older?_"

"Good question. But to tell the truth, til this moment I never thought of myself as being 'older'," Scott began his reply. "I mean, I still like to have fun, I still like a lot of the stuff I liked when I was 'younger'. Hm. You get bigger; surfing bigger waves becomes easier; skateboarding's still fun for me. Otto, if you did the 009, think what you'll be able to do with another foot and twenty pounds on your frame. Uh, learning to drive becomes kind of important, and love becomes a possibility. I don't know; it's just the way the big boy upstairs designed us. Life itself is not so much a mystery to be unraveled as it is a journey to be enjoyed, at least that's my philosophy." He smiled at the camera.

Reggie spoke up after digesting some food and a swig of water. "The treasure. If one exists, and if we end up finding it, who would it belong to?"

"A very good question" - said Rod

The guys looked each at one another, slightly puzzled. Eventually Scott found his voice. _"The_ treasure? I'd like to think of it as _our_ treasure, not so much as belonging to us, but I have a hunch that the history of this treasure impacts a lot of people in this town, and more than might actually know something about it."

The presence grinned broadly. Did Scott hear someone giggle?

He banished the thought from his mind. At least for the time being. "The main chamber should be about 900 meters further on, around a bend," Sam reported, "through, or past, something called 'agua luminosa' and another feature called 'escalon'."

Rod seemed to be... somewhat nervous. He looked all over the cave, as if trying to find something.

"What's on your mind, Rod?" asked Scott.

"Oh... nothing, Scott.. It's only that..."

Rod looked around again

"Did you hear that?" said Otto.

"... I thought... no, _I'm sure_ that somebody else is here. Someone... good, but... somehow... sad."

Rod continued looking around, until he fixed his eyes on a wall. But he didn't seem scared; he was rather relieved to see... whatever he had seen.

"Twister" - he asked, his eyes fixed on that wall - "Tell us something more about that legend. Did you say something that this pirate had... a brother?"

"Yeah... or so I heard. Why?" - asked Twister

"Oh... for nothing. It's only that I have just realized that we are going to find the treasure, guys." - said Rod, grinning broadly and winking at the wall.

Unseen by the rest of the kids, Felipe also grinned. So this little kid was actually able to see him? That was neat! Maybe he could also communicate with him, eventually.

The rest of the kids looked at Roderick, intrigued. How come he was so sure about the outcome of their quest?

"Ok. I think we rested enough. Let's get the show on the road, shall we?" - Rod chimed, draping his bag on his back and lightening the cave with his lamp.

"I'm with ya," Reggie beamed.

"Yessss!" grinned Twister.

And off they walked. Twister had been listening to his iPod, and a catchy cadence could be heard from his weatherproof headphones...

"We pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot Drink up me hearties, yo ho We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot Drink up me hearties, yo ho" He began to whistle with the tune.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-..-

Oliver, the Lopez brothers, Riley, and Tesoro continued through the maze of passages. The female of the group had been unusually quiet since the incident with the skeleton. She twirled her bo staff with one hand, the other absentmindedly toying with her necklace. The hem of Riley's jeans, as well as her feet, was soaked from walking through puddles in the cave. She barely noticed her feet were beginning to feel clammy.

Despite the confusion caused by the incident, the group traveled along the cave. Izzy had his usual "charming" expression while Iggy was looking around nervously for anymore skeletons. He held Tesoro close to him. Strangely, the cat had calmed down after attacking her master and partner.

Meanwhile, in the back of the group, Oliver and the crew members he brought with him were surveying the structure of the cave. It seemed that the young club president was interested in the various forms of rocks that were found all around. In his mind, he was planning on making a return trip to the cave to study the many life forms that have made their home here. One of the sailors was carrying a video camera. He looked all around himself, making sure to get as many shots of the cave walls as possible, as well as getting footage of the expedition. The others had their weapons at the ready in case they encountered any of the enemy groups.

Soon, they reached a somewhat fork in the road. Two caves laid in front of them. One of them undoubtedly lead to the chamber where the treasure was hidden. The other...who knows?

"Hmph!" Izzy grunted, crossing his arms as he turned to Riley. "Alright. It's time to see if that cat of yours can _really_ sniff out the treasure."

Turning to the kitten, the treasure hunter commanded, "Tess, go scope this place out," There was a bit of harshness to her tone and Izzy noted she was favoring her scratch.

The kitten disappeared down the tunnel to the right.

"Now what?" Izzy asked.

"We wait," said Riley.

Suddenly. the group heard a high-pitched mewing from inside the tunnel.

Riley's eye glimmered. "Jackpot." she said softly, rubbing her hands together.

"Ladies first," said Izzy, pointing in the direction Tesoro had run.

"Oh thank you _so_ much..." Riley replied sarcastically. She glowered at him as she walked past him and into the right tunnel. The rest of the group followed right behind her.

When they got about ten feet inside, Tesoro scampered back to Iggy.

"Kitty! You came back!" The brunet exclaimed as he scooped the feline into his arms again.

"Ugh! Of course she came back..." Izzy muttered, slapping his forehead.

They continued onward. About twenty to thirty minutes passed before they reached a group of flat rocks. They were arranged in a circle almost like logs at a campfire. Things were pretty silent up to that point until a low growling was heard.

"What's that?" One of the sailors spoke up, looking around.

"There can't be any animals living down here." The leader of the group said.

The growling was heard again.

"Something's d-d-d-d-down here..." Another of the sailors trembled. The other crew members voiced their agreements. Izzy glared at them.

"And you're supposed to be adults? Pfft!"

The growling was heard a third time.

"Is that Tesoro?" Oliver asked.

"Oh for the love of--Cut it out, Iggy!"

Everybody else blinked and turned to boy in question. Tesoro was perched on his shoulder. He was holding his stomach as he bent over.

"I can't help it, bro..." He groaned. "I'm hungry..."

"So am I," the female declared. That said, she sat down on the cave floor and opened her backpack, extracting a brown paper bag. She also removed her sandals, rubbing the places on her feet that were chafed. Riley took a bundle of homemade cookies, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and a juice box out of the paper bag.

"Meow!" Tesoro squeaked indignantly.

"Sorry about forgetting you, girl," Riley apologized, opening a can of tuna.

Izzy slapped his forehead in annoyance.

"Well, at least I still have you and your faithful crew, Van Rossom..."

He turned towards said party members and noticed that they had sat themselves down on the rocks. They grabbed their backpacks and pulled out their own paper bags full of food.

He fell over.

"We don't have time for this!" Izzy roared as he got up and shook his fists. "I'm so close, I can taste it! Now get up and let's get moving, ya bunch of—"

He stopped himself as his own stomach grumbled. He blushed as the rest of the group turned to him.

"On second thought, one little break won't hurt us..." He chuckled sheepishly as he slumped on his own rock and grabbed his backpack.

Both Lopez Brothers reached into their backpacks and pulled out paper bags. Izzy's lunch consisted of two turkey and roast beef sandwiches, a bag of Cheetos, and a bottle of pineapple soda. Iggy's, on the other hand, contained one package of Lunchables pepperoni pizza. The elder brunet sweatdropped as he watched his brother messily prepare his meal.

"I swear, he can't be my brother." He muttered. "He just _can't_ be." He shrugged and chomped into one of his sandwiches.

The break period went by without anyone saying a word to the other. It was silent in the cavern, save for the sounds of chewing, savoring, slurping, and the occasional burp ("Excuse me." Iggy said shyly. "I swear! You're not my brother, you pig!" Izzy shouted). About forty-five minutes passed before everyone finished. Making sure to pack up their waste ("Nobody likes a litterbug!" Iggy cheerfully said. Everyone else groaned), the group cleaned up and was now resting, allowing their bodies to digest.

"Hey, Lopez." Oliver called.

"What is it?" Izzy asked.

"There's something that's been on my mind for awhile."

"Yeah?" The brunet blinked at the genius, who nodded.

"Yes. I've been meaning to ask you this when you hired me." He replied, cleaning his glasses.

"Well? Spit it out."

The redhead glared at him.

"Very well. Here goes." He took a deep breath. "Why exactly do you hate Sam? I mean, you've been rivals with him, at least in the physical sense, for a long time."

Everyone looked at Izzy expectantly.

"You mean you don't know?" He asked, blinking. Everybody shook their heads.

°WHAM!°

"_You_ don't count!" The brunet shouted, hitting Iggy over the head with his kendo stick. Luckily, the younger brother had his helmet to protect him. "You were there that day!"

"But I don't remember what happened..." Iggy moaned dizzily.

"Gee, I wonder why." Riley remarked, generating snickers among the sailors. Izzy rolled his eyes before turning to Oliver, who was still waiting for his answer.

"Alright. It all started two years ago..." He started.


	19. The Flashback…and More

The Elusive Treasure

Chapter Nineteen

The Flashback… and More

°°Flashback°°

_It was two years ago. Two boys laughed merrily as they rode along Ocean Shores on their skateboards. The taller of the two was wearing a dark violet shirt and black shorts. His white running shoes were firmly planted on his red skateboard. He was wearing black knee and elbow pads. His head was topped off with a purple helmet that had bat wings on the side. His companion, who was much shorter than him, was wearing a blue shirt and red shorts. His dirty black sneakers were standing on his orange skateboard. His pads were sky blue while his helmet was green. A turtle's shell was pictured on it._

_They were obviously the Lopez Brothers. They looked exactly the same as they do today, except that they were, of course, shorter than they were. But there was one other detail about the two boys. Around both of their necks was a gold chain. _

_Eleven year old Izzy's charm was shaped exactly like the video game character Bowser's head. Emeralds represented the villain's face. Rubies were used for his hair and eyes. Diamonds represented his razor sharp teeth. Finally, amber was used for the monster's horns and muzzle. _

_Nine year old Iggy's charm was shaped like the head of Shadow the hedgehog. The majority of it was made of onyx while amber represented his muzzle. Lastly, rubies were used for his eyes and the highlights in the quills._

_"Man, this place is cool, huh bro?" Iggy asked happily._

_"Yeah. I gotta admit," Izzy started, looking around. "Mom picked the perfect place to move to. I think I'm gonna like it here."_

_"I wonder if there's a skate park around here."_

_"I remember reading in the web site for the town that there's this place called 'Mad Town.' It's supposed to be by the pier."_

_"Well, what're we waiting for? Let's go!" The younger brother shouted, kicking the ground to accelerate._

_"Hey! **I'm** the older brother!" The taller one protested, speeding up as well. "**I** give the orders!"_

_The siblings skated through the town until they eventually came to the pier. When they reached the entrance, they went over to the railing and looked into the skate park._

_"Woah..." They both said in awe as they watched a certain kid in a yellow shirt and dome helmet soar into the air and do tricks so advanced, it seemed like he was dancing on air._

_"That guy's amazing." Iggy commented._

_"Pffft!" Izzy scoffed, crossing his arms. "You think **that's** amazing? Just wait until **I** get in there."_

_"Yeah right. Did you forget that ya only been practicing for a couple of months?" The older brunet flushed in embarrassment. "So I'm a beginner! Big deal! I've gotten better!"_

_"Heh, you still crash trying to do the easiest tricks!"_

_Izzy shook a fist at him, causing him to back down._

_"Shaddap! Just because you got into this sorta thing a year before me means nothing! I can still wipe the floor with anybody!"_

_"Then prove it." Iggy challenged, sticking his tongue out at him. The older brother gulped. He was challenged by his **little** brother no less! He had to do it, otherwise he'll lose his control over Iggy._

_"Hmph! Fine! I'll do it!" He said as he got on his board and rolled towards the ramp. He then looked back at Iggy, who was following right behind him. "Don't think that I won't forget this later tonight."_

_Now it was Iggy's turn to gulp. He knew he crossed the line with that challenge, but there was no turning back.The brothers rolled down the ramp and into the park. Since the half pipe was still occupied, they decided to mingle around and warm up by skating around in the bowls. They followed up by grinding the different rails and launching off the various ramps. About an hour passed before the skater in the red helmet exited the half pipe._

_"Well, bro, had enough of a warm up?" Iggy smirked. Izzy glared at him._

_"Watch it, ya little brat." He warned._

_"Sticks and stones will break my bones," The shorter brother teased, dancing around him. "But words will never..." He blinked. "How does the rest of it go?"_

_Izzy fell over._

_"You can't even tease right!" He shouted as he stood up. "How the heck are you better than me at skating!.?"_

_Not even ten seconds after that, the kids nearby laughed and pointed at him._

_"Oh man! You gotta be kidding!" One kid was heard. "This shoobie can't even beat a little kid?"Izzy growled and shook his fists as his face grew red in anger._

_"Yeah! I bet he still needs his training wheels to skate!" Another one said. The brunet gritted his teeth as he shook like a volcano getting ready to erupt. Iggy gulped as he backed away. He knew all too well how devastating his brother could get when he's pushed to the limit._

_"Hey! Go home, shoo--"_

_"**ENOUGH!.!.!**__" Izzy bellowed. The crowd gasped and trembled in fear as his roar echoed throughout the entire park. "YOU WANT SOME OF THIS!.?.! I CHALLENGE ANYBODY TO THE HALF PIPE!.!.! YOU THINK YOU CAN TAKE ME!.?.! THEN STEP UP OR SHUT UP!.!.!"_

_A few seconds passed before the crowd whispered among each other. The Lopez Brothers watched each and every single one of them carefully, trying to see who would actually dare to accept the volatile boy's challenge._

_"Hey Squid." A voice spoke up. _

_Izzy and Iggy turned to see a group of four kids standing the closest to them. One of which was the same skater they saw on the half pipe. With him were a girl wearing a yellow helmet, a slightly shorter boy wearing a helmet with bird wings on the side (almost a complete mirror to Izzy's), and a short, round boy wearing glasses and a helmet shaped like a shark._

_"I bet you can take him." The voice continued. It seemed to belong to the one in the winged helmet. The round boy shuddered at the comment._

_"A-a-a-a-a-are you crazy, Twist!.? I don't wanna go a-a-a-a-anywhere near him..."_

_"Come on, Squid!" The skater in the dome helmet encouraged. "He's just a shoobie with a big mouth. You can take him."_

_"I heard that!" Izzy shouted. The group turned to him. "You think that little butterball can beat me!.?"_

_"Hey!" The one known as Squid protested stepping forward. "I don't even know you!"_

_"Well then, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Izzy and that—" He pointed at the one in the green helmet. "—is Iggy."_

_"Hiya!" Iggy waved wildly._

_"We're the Lopez Brothers." Izzy continued. "We're the best gamers anywhere and soon, we'll be great skaters!"_

_To that, the crowd erupted into laughter."Hahahahaha!.!.! See, Squid? What'd I tell ya? He's all talk!" The one in the dome helmet said._

_"Yeah, Sammy." The girl spoke up. "Even I'm starting to think you can beat him with no problem. Go for it!" Sam still looked unsure._

_"B-b-b-b-b-b-but I..."_

_"Just get out there!" Twister shouted, pushing him towards Izzy, who smirked._

_'**Well now, this guy is just a round little punk.**' He thought. '**There's no way I can lose.**' He glowered at Sam's friends, who cheered him on._

_'**Looks like I get to kill two birds with one stone. I get to shut those kids up and I can rub it in Iggy's face.**' He rubbed his hands evilly. '**This'll be fun.'**_

_-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-._

_"Here are the rules!" The one in the dome helmet, who introduced himself as Otto, started. "Sam will do a move first and then you have to imitate it. If you land it, you do a move and Sam would have to imitate it. You both keep going back and forth until one of you beefs it."_

_"Yeah, yeah. I know the rules!" Izzy shouted._

_The brunet was standing on the half pipe. Next to him was Sam, who had a look of complete nervousness. Behind them were their coaches, Reggie and Iggy. They both had towels, bottles of water, and a first aid kit ready._

_"Hey bro, are ya sure you wanna go through with this?" Iggy whispered to his brother. "I mean, there's no way you can win!"_

_"Hmph!" Izzy stubbornly grunted. "I'm gonna win 'cause I got my lucky charm with me." He held up his Bowser charm. "There's no way I can lose."_

_"Whatever. Just don't punish me when you mess up."_

_Iggy shrank back under his brother's dark glare._

_"Alright, let's get this started!" Otto shouted. He was standing on the ground, along with Twister. "Alright, Squid. You're first!"_

_"O-o-o-o-ok..." Sam gulped as he mounted his board and dropped in._

_The blond went up and down the sides of the half pipe, building up his speed. Once he was able to achieve the highest height possible, he pulled off a simple 360 degree spin before rolling back down the side of the pipe and landing near Izzy._

_"Ok, shoobie. You're next!" Otto called._

_The brunet gulped. "Here goes."_

_Like Sam, he dropped in, rolled up and down the pipe a few times, and performed a 360 degree spin before going back to where he started._

_"Woah. He really did it." Reggie commented._

_"Aw man! I thought for sure he woulda crashed on the first trick!" Twister moaned. Izzy growled and shook his fist at him._

_"I heard that!"_

_"Just go!" Otto yelled._

_And so, the duel continued. Both boys tried to outwit the other with all the tricks they knew, which, unfortunately for the spectators, were ones that anybody can master within their first week of skating. The boys' repertoire consisted of simple spins and rotations. Whatever Sam can do, Izzy was able to perform almost exactly the same and vice versa. The amount of time it took for either one of them to mess up a trick quickly added up as the crowd struggled to stay awake._

_Soon, it was sunset and neither boy gave up. They were exhausted though._

_"This is a joke!" Izzy shouted to his brother as he snatched his towel. "How long is it gonna take him to choke!.?" He rubbed his face._

_"I don't know, but we gotta get home before dark." Iggy warned as Izzy sipped from his water bottle. "Mom'll be mad at us."_

_"She's not gonna be as mad as **I'll **be if that dork doesn't screw up soon!"_

_"Reg...I can't...go on..." Sam panted to his best friend as he was handed his water._

_"Just hang on a little longer, Sam." Reggie comforted. "He's gotta give up sometime."_

_"Come on! We gotta get home, ya know!.?" Otto shouted at the competitors. The crowd, or at least those that were still awake, yelled their agreement._

_"Ok, ok!" Reggie yelled at her brother. She turned to Sam. "Come on, Sammy. Just do one more trick. I know you can."_

_"A-alright, Reg. I'll try." The blond replied, getting to his feet. He stood on his board and rolled down the pipe._

_Like so many times earlier that day, Sam went up and down the wooden structure to accelerate. When he finally achieved the necessary height, he amazed the spectators by pulling off a sweet Varial and even a McTwist before finally coming back down. The crowd roared as he came back to where Reggie and the Lopez Brothers were standing, mouths agape._

_"What the heck!.?" Izzy complained when he found his voice. "I've never done anything like that before!" He turned and grabbed his brother's shoulders. "Iggy! Help!"_

_"Wh-what can I do?" Iggy stuttered._

_"I don't know, but you better figure it out and fast! You got me into this mess!"_

_"ME!.?.! You're the one who challenged that guy!" The younger brother pointed at Sam._

_"WHAT!.?.! You're blaming **me**!.?.!"_

_"Whaddya think!.?"_

_Both brothers growled at each other before launching into an all out fight. Everybody sweatdropped as they were engulfed in a dust cloud as they cursed and punched each other._

_"Hey! Stop it!" Reggie shouted, reaching into the cloud. It dissipated as she held the siblings at arm's length away from each other. Iggy was on her left while Izzy was on her right, towards the edge of the pipe. "You're family! You're not supposed to fight each other!"_

_"Tell that to Lars." Twister muttered, crossing his arms._

_"Lady, we're brothers!" Iggy told her. "We're supposed to fight!"_

_"Yeah! It's in our blood!" Izzy agreed, wriggling out of her grip. He stepped backwards. "And now if ya don't mind, I'm gonna—"_

_It was at that very moment that he stepped on his skateboard, causing him to roll forward._

_"WOAH!.!.!" He screamed as he went careening down the pipe. "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!.!.!"_

_He tried to regain his balance as he went up the side, but alas. Fate (and gravity) had other plans._

_°CRASH!.!.!°_

_Izzy landed face first on the middle of the half pipe. In no time at all, everybody crowded around him. Iggy, of course, was by his side._

_"Izzy...?" He said, poking his brother's head. "Are you alive?"He continued to poke Izzy, who was starting to stir._

_°POW!°_

_"CUT IT OUT ALREADY!.!.!" The older brunet roared. He just punched Iggy away. He groaned as he sat up. "Ugh... I'm lucky I survived that one..."_

_"Hey, are you alright?" Sam asked, putting his hand on Izzy's shoulder. Izzy shrugged him off instantly._

_"Of course I'm fine. As long as I got my lucky charm, I'm—" His eyes widened in fear. "M-m-my charm!"_

_He grabbed his chain and pulled it to eye level. To his utter horror, only half of Bowser's head remained connected to the chain._

_"My charm..." He hissed as he let go of it. "My **lucky** charm..." He bowed his head. "Y-y-you broke my charm... My ultimate symbol of good luck..."_

_"What?" Sam blinked confusedly._

_"YOU BROKE MY LUCKY CHARM!.!.!" Izzy bellowed, shoving the blond aside._

_"HE'S OUR FRIEND," bellowed the auburn one, stepping forward. "HE DID NO SUCH THING. YOU APOLOGIZE, NOW!.!.!" The veins on Otto's eyes were visible through his shades as he stood before Izzy._

_"No way!" The brunet shouted, stomping past Otto. He kneeled towards his brother and pulled him up by the back of his shirt. "I may have lost **this **competition, Blondie, but there'll be others. And I won't rest until I defeat you. From now on we're rivals!" He pushed his brother to make him start walking out of the park. "Til we next meet!"_

_°°End Flashback°°_

"And to this day, I've never beaten him." Izzy finished his recollection.

Everybody in the cavern (even Tesoro) gaped at him. It took some time before anybody can speak.

"So what happened to the other piece of your charm?" Oliver asked.

The brunet shrugged. "How should I know? It's probably lost for good."

"And why isn't Iggy wearing his?"

"Because Izzy won't let me." The brother in question grumbled, crossing his arms.

"Oh _now_ you remember, huh!.?" The older sibling said. "Anyway, yeah. If I can't have my lucky charm because of that blond brat, _he_ can't either."

"What a spoiled brat, huh?" Riley said to Tesoro, who mewed as she was petted.

Izzy glowered at her.

"What's with everybody talking about me behind my back?" He said to himself. He then stood up. "In any case, let's move. Who knows how much time we wasted?"

The others nodded as they got up. They grabbed their gear and continued their trek.

"Hmmm..." Izzy hummed, rubbing his chin.

"What's up?" Iggy asked, walking up to him.

"Something as momentous as us getting the treasure requires a grand entrance, don't ya think?"

"I guess..." The shorter one shrugged. "But what?"

"Heh, that we'll have to discuss." The older one replied, grabbing his backpack. He opened it and pulled out a piece of paper and a pencil. "Walk with me, Iggy."

"You won't hurt me, will ya?"

Izzy glared at him.

"I will if you don't get up here! Now move!"

Further down the group, Oliver heard his radio crackling. Blinking, he pulled it out of his pocket.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The Ozone Streeters emerged from the other side of that agua luminosa. "Well, this was the easier of the two options," commented Otto. "Who knows what would have happened if we'd tried our luck with those rocks?"

"I know," commented Scott. "I'd have felt better about that if Lou was with us, but still, we got to clean up a bit," he grinned.

Twister spied a stick on the ground, one end covered in a charred, oily rag tied to it. He opened a bottle of matches and struck one on the stony wall, lighting it. He ignited the torch and carried it before him. "Which way, Squid?" he asked.

Sam extracted the laminated copy of the map he carried with him, and peered into his compass. "Thataway," Sam pointed.

Twister thought he'd seen somebody walking across their path. 'A cop in riot gear, like at some civil disturbance? I must be hallucinating--or at least seeing things.' He took point, walking slowly and steadily onward.

_Meanwhile, aboard the Sea Crest..._

The bell sounded out the hour that had just passed, and the ship's executive officer had grown nervous. There had been no contact from the away team. He lifted the radio mike and keyed it.

"Oliver? This is Number One. Is everything okay? Over." He released the mic and waited for a response.

"Number One, this is Oliver. Everything's alright. Over." He answered.

"Roger that, Skipper. Please remember to check in once in a while. We were getting worried. Sea Crest clear," the caller acknowledged.

"Understood. Over and out." The redhead replied, putting the radio away.

Behind the genius, the sailor with the camera was scoping out the moss lining the cave walls when he saw a strange image. It looked like a boy that was about the same age as Oliver. He was wearing only a bandana and a pair of tattered shorts. The man gave a frightened yelp as the boy disappeared off camera.

"Sea man, what's the matter with you?" Oliver asked, turning towards him. "Keep moving. You don't want to get lost down here."

"B-b-b-b-but sir, I saw a..." The sailor trailed off.

"Saw what?" The redhead gave him a look that was half questioning and half glowering. The sailor gulped. There was no way his president would believe him.

"N-n-n-nothing sir..." He finally answered.

"Very well then. Let's continue on."

Oliver caught up with the rest of the group. The cameraman turned towards the place where he saw the apparition. There was nothing there, however. Satisfied at the fact that it was his mind playing tricks on him, he turned and ran up to the group. When they disappeared around a corner, Felipe rematerialized.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Back with the Rockets...

The kids had a rather uneventful ride. Apparently they chose the best possible entrance route - and the fact that a certain presence helped them by revealing some hidden traps to Roderick really made the trip easier.

Soon the kids faced a downward slope. The sound of running water and a slight draft of air told them they were near a larger cave, perhaps inundated by an underground current.

The ground was rather slippery - they had to step very carefully.

But a very big surprise was awaiting for them when they finally reached the base of the slope. The kids found themselves in a large cave, with a large pool of fresh water in the middle.

The cave was very dark, and only shadows were visible. But Sam pointed his flashlight to the walls and discovered several torches affixed to iron chandeliers. Sam pointed the torches to Scott, who produced a lighter from his pocket and lit the torch. Soon they found more torches on the walls, and as they lit them, the interior of the cave became illuminated with a bright, yellowish light. And that revealed a very impressive sight to their eyes.

Looking at the marks on the walls, Sam deduced the cave inundated periodically - perhaps with the high tide - but never over a couple of meters or so.

But the most remarkable sight lied in the middle of the lagoon, on a higher point which apparently was above the water level.

"What the..." - said Otto

"It can't be..."

"Unbelievable!" - said Sam and Reggie

"YAY!.!.! AN AUTHENTIC PIRATE SHIP! THIS IS SOOO COOL!.!.!" - said Roderick, as hyper as ever.

The kids looked in awe at their discovery.

Right there, in the middle of that cave, were the remains of the _"Santa Isabel"_, Lorenzo's _carabela_.

There wasn't much left of it, of course - it was rather an empty hull, but part of the tall masts still stood above deck.

It was evident that the ship had been severely damaged.

Several openings on the sides indicated that it was not seaworthy when it was taken there.

Scott and Sam were very confused. "What is a ship like that doing inside this cave?"

"Well, I think I can explain that, Sam" - said Roderick - "I think I know someone who might know the story of this ship"

"Good question, Sammy," replied the taller blond. "By the way, Twist, you getting this?"

"Of course I am, Scott! Although there is... something weird with the Twistcam. I am getting something by Roderick, as if someone was standing with him..."

"Kirlian aura, huh?" muttered Scott to nobody in particular.

Then Scott felt the hairs on the back of his neck prick up. He felt drawn to look where Roderick was standing.

Everyone looked at Roderick, surprised. But the boy was smiling gently, looking at the place where Twister thought that shadow was standing.

"Guys, I want you to meet... Don Felipe Rodriguez y Rodriguez, son of Don Ignacio and Sandra Rodriguez."

Everyone blinked, confused, but Roderick kept smiling at the spot

"C'mon, Felipe. It's OK. We are here to help you" - said Roderick, reassuringly.

Everyone looked in awe as the dust particles in the air began to concentrate by Roderick. Soon a small figure began to take shape. After a couple of minutes, the kids thought they saw another person standing by Roderick. A young boy, dressed on ragged pants and with a red bandana on his head. To their surprise, the boy looked very much like Twister!

All the kids were surprised, but somehow were not scared.

Soon the shadow was perfectly visible.

"Guys, this is Felipe. He was Lorenzo's younger brother. He has been accompanying us since we entered the cave. He showed Sam the location of that spring when he and Scott got trapped."

"And he also told me where those booby traps were located."

"He has to be right," admitted Scott. "Even my preparations couldn't account for all the dangers that were left here. I felt as though on some level I were guided." He turned to the apparition. "Thanks, dude." Scott extended his hand in friendship.

"You're most welcome!" - said Felipe, extending his hand too - "I'm glad that somebody finally discovered the clues and had the intelligence to come all the way to this place"

Felipe's voice was almost identical to Twister; but he spoke with a rather ancient accent.

"Whoa... I can't believe it!" - said Twister, very surprised - "Your family name is Rodriguez too? Such a coincidence!"

"I know!" - said Felipe - "I was also surprised. And you look exactly like me!"

Roderick chuckled a bit.

"Well, I wouldn't be that surprised about that, guys. After all you are related!"

"ARE WE?.?.?" - said Felipe and Twister at the same time, looking at each other very surprised

"Yeah! Now it makes sense, Twister. For some strange reason, it seems all - or at least, most of us - are somewhat related to the original crew of this ship."

Everyone looked at Roderick, very confused

"Scott, remember when you told us you found that key, you knew it belonged to one of your ancestors? It seems he was part of Lorenzo's crew. And Twist, you always told us you have Spanish and Mexican descent. And you told us once that one of your ancestors was a famous pirate. Well, Felipe was - _is_ the brother of that pirate."

Scott nodded. The whole thing now made perfect sense. He spoke up.

"Felipe, there's something I have to tell you. There are other people who know that this place may exist, and there is someone out there possessed by a... foreign entity who means to do us harm. I don't know where he is, but there's a possibility he might be headed this way. There is still another group of people who might be motivated either by simple greed, or by curiosity. Is there anything we should do to...uh, protect you as well as ourselves from any harm that might be coming this way?" The others in the entourage nodded. "Also, we're somehow curious as to how a large boat exists here, inside a mountain."

"I know about those groups. And the... entity you are talking about is none other but my evil brother, Lorenzo." - said Felipe, with an expression of both sadness and fear on his face.

"The best way to protect yourselves against him, is to stay out of his way. You don't need to worry about me; but you must hurry and take the treasure away as soon as you can.

"As for this hull... it used to be our ship. But it got damaged a couple of days after Lorenzo... " Felipe looked down to his feet "... had me... executed" - said in a low tone of voice, after a couple of moments.

"He was being chased by the Armada, but a storm separated them and Lorenzo made it to this shore. But the ship could not be repaired. So he sent some of his men to scout the shorea and found these caves. He had the ship dismantled - mainly by the two men who helped me - and carried here to be rebuilt, as a storage chamber for the treasure."

"But--the treasure must weigh several hundred pounds at least. We came here to locate it, then make... later arrangements to remove it. We'd be lucky to carry away maybe a hundred pounds if that all together," noted Scott.

"I see. But you _must_ try to take it away! Else Lorenzo will find it... and it will... cause serious damage to the kid he posessed; the pirate with the missing tooth."

"Could you reveal it to us, then?" asked Otto.

"Sure! You just climb to the hull and go to the hold. The ship is too old, but the wood is still solid - this cave is rather dry and it has preserved it very well. You will find a large chest in the middle of the hold. Perhaps you can use some ropes to drag it - you are many, and look strong enough. Then you could-" Felipe looked nervously to one of the other passages. His expression turned to one of anger and fear.

"I gotta go. Lorenzo is very near. I'll try to stop him. You guys better hurry... please!" said Felipe as he disappeared in front of the kids.

The kids gripped gratefully the weapons they'd brought. Scott laid out a plan: "Otto, Roderick, you guys being the lightest, go in and have a look. The rest of us, maintain a perimeter around that ship. Use the water to hide if you need to, but only go on air if you're completely submerged, those things give off a noticeable noise above water. We have to protect that treasure--if anything happens to those other goons, it's just evolution in action. Ok?"

The others nodded, some with gulps but all showing a brave face.

"Alright then! Let's do this," urged Reggie.

The gang heard a rockfall in one of the adjoining corridors, followed by a familiar voice screaming unfamiliar epithets. "Way to go, Phil!" whispered Twister with a giggle as he took up his post.


	20. Finally There

The Elusive Treasure

Chapter Twenty

Finally There

"Yeow!" Lars screamed as he dove out of the way of a massive boulder. "What was that!.?"

Sputz mumbled an explanation, to which the leader of the group sweatdropped.

"Duh!.!.! I KNOW a rock just fell!.!.! I wanna know WHY it did!.!.!"

"Uhhhh... L-L-Lars?" Pi stuttered. He was shaking profusely. The brunet in the gray hat faced him with an irritated look.

"What!.?"

The rounder brunet just pointed behind his leader in response. Lars turned and found himself looking at Twister, only there was something strange about him. He was wearing not his normal outfit but a pair of ripped shorts and a bandana. The other strange part was the fact that he was transparent and had an angry glower on his face.

_"Hello, Lorenzo."_

Lars raised an eyebrow._ "Twister?" _He then glared at him._ "What're you—" _

He didn't finish for his eyes closed. When he opened them a few moments later, they were glowing with a crimson hue.

_"Felipe, you little ingrate!"_ He roared._ "After all I've done for you, you dare to try to crush my host with a rock!"_

_"Ingrate!.?"_ The redheaded spirit demanded._ "You call putting me through all that abuse and making me walk the plank something that I should thank you for!.?"_

Lorenzo scoffed._ "Of course. It builds character. It strengthened your spirit." _He smirked at the growling ghost._ "I suppose I don't have to worry about that_ anymore."

"Now if you'll excuse me—" He added walked through Felipe. The ghost gaped at him for that disrespectful display. "I have a treasure to claim." He turned to the other members of his crew. "Let's continue, gentlemen. We're close to the main chamber."

Trembling, Pi, Sputz, and Animal made their way past Felipe and entered the main chamber anixiously. The ghost gulped nervously.

"I tried my best. Now it's up to the others." He put on a determined look. "I better get ready for the worst."

He faded out of site.

Meanwhile...

"Ugh... I'm surprised this experience hasn't killed me yet..." Izzy groaned, climbing to his feet.

The brunet and his band had just crawled through a passage lined with holes in which arrows shot out off. Before that though, they went through an area that had spears jutting out of the walls and floor. It's a miracle all of them survived. They were all dirty and tired. Their clothes had multiple holes and tears in them. They were also dripping wet (most likely from going through a submerged area). In other words, this bunch of people had seen better days.

"Izzy, I'm tired and everything hurts!" Iggy whined. "I wanna go home!"

"Shaddap! We're not gonna quit now, especially after going through _that_!" The elder brother snapped. "Keep moving!"

The shorter brunet shuddered and went back to where Riley was. He felt safer with Tesoro, who was perched on the treasure hunter's shoulder.

"Lopez, if we just barely made it through those traps with just our gear, how do you expect us to go back with the treasure?" Oliver spoke up.

"We should just forget about this and go home." Riley said. "No treasure is worth what we just went through." The crew members in back voiced their agreements. Izzy faced them all with a glare.

"Didn't I just say that we're not gonna stop!.?" He shouted. "We're so close, I can almost smell it. And we're worry about what to do _after_ we secure the treasure, Van Rossom." He turned and started walking again, followed by the rest of the group.

"Hey bro." Iggy spoke up. "Did you leave your flashlight on?"

The leader sighed exasperatedly as he turned around again.

"Of course not. I have it right here with me." He patronized, waving said flashlight.

Iggy glared at him, catching the hidden insult. "Then what's with your backpack!.?"

Izzy blinked. "What _about_ my backpack?"

"There's a light coming from it."

The elder brother sighed and held his head.

"Iggy, you need help, seriously. You're seeing things."

"Again, I wonder why." Riley remarked. Everybody aside from the siblings snickered at that one.

"Seriously though, Lopez, something's been glowing in your bag for the last twenty minutes." Oliver said.

Izzy raised an eyebrow at him. "And you didn't say anything _why_?"

The redhead shrugged. "You never asked, not to mention we _were_ too busy trying to stay alive!"

The brunet slapped his head.

"When this is over, I don't wanna talk to any of you, especially you, Iggy!" The boy in question gulped. "Now let's see what everybody's going on about!"

He put his flashlight in his mouth and took off his backpack. As soon as he brought it around, he noticed a faint golden glow shining through the leather. Raising a confused eyebrow, he opened the flap and reached inside. When Izzy retracted his hand, he and Iggy paled when they noticed the mushroom giving off the glow. Everyone covered their eyes from the near blinding glow.

"Ugh! Why is it glowing!.?" Iggy grunted.

"How should I know!.?" The taller brother answered. The flashlight fell to the ground at that moment.

"Put that thing away, Lopez!" Oliver roared.

"Yeah! Before I go blind!" Riley agreed.

"Alright, alright! Sheesh!" Izzy shouted.

He felt for one of his shorts pockets and stuffed the offending fungus inside. Instantly, the light dimmed, allowing the group to breathe a sigh of relief. Everybody looked to see that the boy's left leg was illuminated. They sweatdropped and looked at Izzy, who glowered at them as he retrieved his flashlight.

"One word and I'll whack ya." He threatened, gesturing to his kendo stick, which was tied to his right leg by a belt. The rest of the group nodded nervously as he put on his backpack. "Now if nobody else has anything they'd like to share, let's move it!"

They continued on afterwards. After walking a few feet, Izzy turned a corner. Iggy and the others raised an eyebrow when they noticed him doubling back.

"What's the matter?" Oliver asked.

"Shhhhh..." The leader put a finger to his lips. "We're here, but so are the others." He whispered, turning off his light.

Everyone tip toed up to him and looked around the corner. Indeed the other two groups were present. Currently, Scott, Sam, and Roderick were having a verbal confrontation with Lars and his cronies. The group gave a gasp of awe at the ship's hull, not to mention the natural features of the chamber. A large hole in the ceiling allowed sunlight to enter in a single shaft, so they no longer required their flashlights and lanterns.

"That must be where the treasure is." Izzy whispered excitedly, pointing at the hull.

"But I only see Sam and two members of his group." Oliver commented. "Where are the others?"

"They must've gone ahead into the ship to nab the treasure." Izzy hypothesized, glaring at Riley. "The shortest route, huh?"

The only female of the group returned the glare. "Hey! I know I picked the right route! If you weren't so busy fighting—"

"Rrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeoooooooowwwwwwwwwwwww..." Tesoro hissed upon seeing Lars. Iggy gave her a strange look.

"Kitty, why are you so angry?" He asked innocently.

"Shut that thing up before we're caught!" Izzy hissed.

Everybody immediately backed away from the corner. Despite that, the ebony kitten continued to hiss and spit.

"That was close." Oliver said. "Now what do we do?"

"Yeah! They'll turn on us when we step inside." Riley added.

Izzy held his chin. "Hmmmmm..." He smirked as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "Leave it to us. Let's go, Iggy."

"Are you sure about this, bro?" Iggy asked as he stepped forward.

"Of course I am! Now get ready."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Three figures in camouflage clothing and plastic helmets stood in shallow water up to their waists. Only one was visibly armed, with a katana harnessed across his back. The oldest of them, still a youth, talked to the fellow in the filthy purple Russian hockey jersey and gray beanie.

"There's nothing here," he told the leader of that bone-headed quartet. "In fact, the others have gone to locate that hole up topside, and lower a rope to retrieve the... other members' equipment." Scott stalled for time. He knew the Lasers were outnumbered, and was already devising various methods to take Lars down. Being best friends with a former tae kwon do champion (Lou) had its advantages.

Nonetheless, he was comforted by the stunner he had in his side pocket, should it become necessary to use it. He saw a general uneasiness in Animal's expression, and Sputs simply looked exhausted and confused (as usual). Scott knew that Roderick despite his size could capably assist in their defense, even without the large blade he carried behind him. Of all the four though, it was Pi who worried him. He was just so, ...big. He was hoping that he could count on the others to act as a team.

As for Roderick, he had lost his smile, and his face showed a cold, steely iced expression. He looked angrily at Lars and the lasers - he knew he was _not_ looking at his friend, but to that heartless pirate. He couldn't stop thinking about Felipe. He knew very well what this pirate was capable of doing; but he swore he would give him some trouble at the very least.

As for Pi and the others, he looked at them with disgust. He still remembered the pranks they pulled on him the first time he met them at the pier, but he was sure he could take on them with a little karate. But he hated the idea of fighting with them - after all, he knew very well that karate was to be used in self-defense only. But something told him he would need to defend himself and the rest of the kids soon.

Otto laid out a rope as he slowly and carefully swam in between and around the Lasers. His lungs ached for the air that he carried in his pack, but he knew that if he drew a breath from it his plan would be betrayed. Twister was awaiting behind a rock, awaiting Otto's command to pull with all his might. The plan looked good.  
Reggie took a position inside the ancient ship, ready to douse any malefactor with a face full of military-grade pepper spray. The odds were better than even, but the stakes were very high.

Meanwhile, Lorenzo was getting really angry.

"Now, listen carefully to me, for I'll say this only once. I toiled for months to hoard that treasure, and I was killed for it. I had my brother executed because of it, and I've been wandering in this earth for it, and I won't let you little rats get that chest away from me. Now, if you value your lives, you'll give me my treasure, or else..."

Lorenzo unsheathed his sword and saluted the kids with it, before going to an in-guard position.

"NOW!.!.!" commanded Otto, emerging from the brine. Both he and Twister pulled at the rope...

The four miscreants fell at various angles into the water, and were quickly surrounded by everyone but Reg. The Lasers however got up sooner than expected; Pi, Sputs, and Animal producing various blunt instruments. The others laid their packs aside and engaged the Lasers with their own weapons.

Roderick drew his katana.

"Proud and insolent youth, prepare to meet thy doom!" hissed Lorenzo.

"Greedy and misguided soul, have at me!" responded the young Dutchman.

"Dark and sinister man, have at thee," quipped Roderick as he turned the blade deftly to parry Lorenzo's frenzied blows.

Roderick started backing towards the vessel, hoping that Reg could surprise Lorenzo.

Rod felt something move a little too close by his face. He backed off a bit and raised a finger. Something warm, sticky, and metallic could be tasted in his mouth. His countenance grew fierce as he lifted his blade to advance at Lorenzo with a disabling blow.

"AAAAAAAAAARGH!.!.!" he roared as he charged towards his opponent, now moving likewise towards him with his cutlass raised on high.

°FWWINNG!.!.! FWWINNG!.!.!°

It was a melée worthy of one of the old Batman episodes. Except this time, there was a very real chance of someone getting hurt. Or worse.

What came as a bit of a surprise was how short Pi lasted. Twister just ducked underneath the brute's arms, and slammed the snout of his baton into Pi's solar plexus, the shock knocking him out instantly.

Animal seeing this simply ran off in terror, only to receive a fist in the jaw from Scott, taking him down.

"Where's Sputs!.?" asked Otto out loud. "SHOW YOURSELF!.!.!"

Roderick and Lorenzo kept going at each other. Roderick had the clear advantage of twenty-first century marital arts training, where Lorenzo had only his old sword skills and Lars' knowledge of brawling to fall back on.

"I'll teach you a lesson, brat! You should have never challenged me!" - roared Lorenzo as he charged to Rod. As he got close to the boy, he raised his cutlass and prepared to give him a blow, but, to his surprise, Roderick jumped in the air when he threw the blow. Rod made a quick forward roll and landed on his feet behind Lorenzo.

"KIAH!.!.!"

Roderick, standing on one leg, gave Lorenzo a quick kick with the other, hitting him on the back and making him lose balance. Before the pirate could recover, Roderick had jumped again and was facing him, Roderick held Lorenzo's arm with his hand and kicked several times on his wrist, until he forced the pirate to drop the sword.

But Lorenzo wasn't going to be defeated that easily. He managed to grab Roderick by his wrist and pulled violently from him, crashing him to the wall. Roderick was stunned - he hit the wall with his back - but reacted fast enough to see Lorenzo charging at him with a sharp dagger pointed to his chest. Roderick rolled quickly, avoiding the dagger by a mere fraction of a second. Lorenzo hit the stone wall with the dagger, causing sparks to blow. Roderick gave him a quick punch with his fist, right under his arm, and made him step back, dizzily.

Lorenzo however, as though possessed by the devil himself, started staggering back towards Roderick, now frozen in horror. However, a form swooped by on a rope, probably from one of the ship's yardarms, knocking Lorenzo to the deck, out cold. When he swung back, the camouflaged figure dismounted.

"Gave me a little scare there, old...chum," Otto said, mimicking Adam West's voice. "You all right?"

"Let's go check in on Reg and the guys," suggested Rod as he nodded in the affirmative, giving a thumbs-up.

Otto and Rod started towards the ship when suddenly...

"FREEZE!.!.!"

"Huh?" The two said, turning towards the source of the voice. Two familiar boys stepped out of hiding, looking down with their arms crossed.

"Prepare for trouble!" The taller one started.

"Make it double!" The shorter one continued.

"To protect our cash from your grubby mitts!"

"To have a victory bash with no regrets!"

"To save the world from some creepy ghosts!"

"To have fun with us as the hosts!"

"Izzy!" The taller one picked up his head with a mischievous smirk.

"Iggy!" The shorter one picked up his own head with a goofy grin.

"We're the Super Lopez Brothers, getting rich at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or boy, are you gonna lose the fight!"

"That's right!" Both brothers ended, pointing at the duo across from them.

Both Otto and Rod sweatdropped as the siblings turned to each other.

"See, Iggy? A good entrance is always required for those about to be in possession of a grand sum of money." Izzy said.

"I guess..." Iggy removed his helmet and scratched his head. "But I thought you always hated that sorta joke."

The taller brunet glowered at him. "Cut the fourth wall breaking. In any case, I wanted to make an exception just this once."

"But I thought you didn't believe in this ghost stuff."

Izzy shrugged. "Eh, I needed to make it rhyme."

"Aw man..." Otto groaned. "I forgot about those two."

"I don't know..." Rod said. "They have a pretty cool motto."

"..." The redhead raised an eyebrow at that.

"Alright!" Izzy shouted, getting to business. "Where's my—"

"AHEM!.!.!" Several voices yelled. The brunet slapped his head and rubbed his face in exasperation.

"I mean our treasure!"

"And what makes you think you kooks are gonna get it?" Otto challenged. The elder Lopez brother smirked at him.

"Easy. I got reinforcements."

With that, he snapped his fingers. Oliver, Riley, Tesoro, and the men they brought along walked into the open. Both Otto and Rod got into fighting poses as the group assembled behind Izzy, who had his arms crossed with a defiant grin.

"Boys, grab the treasure, will you please?" He said, snapping his fingers again.

The men in question didn't budge an inch. The leader blinked and turned to them.

"Well?"

"We only listen to our club president." One of the sailors responded. Izzy glared at Oliver, who shrugged.

"Well yeah. They're only supposed to obey my orders. Club rules." He clarified, chuckling nervously.

"Well, do ya mind?"

"Oh right. Sorry about that." The redhead rubbed the back of his head as he turned to the sailors. "Go in there and retrieve the treasure."

"Yes sir!" The men acknowledged, saluting before marching over to the hull.

"Why is good help so hard to find?" Izzy sighed, shaking his head mournfully. He then turned to Otto and Rod and crossed his arms. "Well, I only see two members of my rival's team. Where are the rest of them hiding?"

"Why should we tell you!.?" Rod demanded.

"Hmph. To be honest, I don't really care, kid. I just wanna make a little small talk and perhaps gloat to a certain so-and-so's face before I leave with all that gold."

"And just what makes you think you're gonna leave here with it?" Otto asked.

"We have more than enough man power to take the treasure out of here." Oliver answered, adjusting his glasses.

'_There's no way Twist and the others will let those guys near the treasure._' Otto thought, snickering.

"Hey, what's so funny, mister?" Iggy asked.

"Oh nothing..." The redhead replied, suppressing his chuckles.

"Hey..." Rod starting noticing the glowing in Izzy's shorts. "What's that in your pocket?"

"Hmmm...?" Izzy blinked before glowering again. "It's none of _your_ concern, but it's something that's been plaguing me and my brother for the last couple of days."

"Yeah! It's scary!" Iggy added, shuddering in fright.

"But luckily, once we get this treasure outta here, I can ditch the stupid thing."

Otto and Rod gave each other a strange look before facing the quartet again.

Riley sighed. "It's some weird trinket."

"Ohhhhhh..." Both boys nodded.

Izzy glared at her. "And who said you could tell them that? They're the enemy!"

"Does it even matter?" She reasoned. "We got the treasure, so they might as well know."

"Speaking of which, what's taking them so long?" Oliver commented.

Everybody turned to the ship's hull. It was silent for a few moments before...

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!.!.!" Several pained screams were heard.

Seconds later, the sailors hobbled out of the hull, much to the surprise of Izzy's group. A couple of them were holding their eyes while a couple others were holding their sides in pain. The last two looked like they were shocked.

"What in the world happened!.?.!" Izzy exclaimed in shock.

"Th-they were too quick for us..." One of the men groaned.

"They had us surrounded..." Another one added.

"B-b-b-b-b-but how!.?" Oliver asked.

"BUST!.!.! Ha ha!.!.!" Otto yelled, holding his sides in laughter. Rod and Iggy laughed heartily as they understood what happened. ...Or at least Iggy did until Izzy slapped him upside the head.

"So let me get this straight." He said to the men. "You were beaten by a bunch of kids?"

The sailors looked down shamefully.

"You're all a disgrace to the Sea Crest engineer club!" Oliver roared. He then turned to Izzy. "Sorry about that, but I can't tolerate incompetence from my own club members. I'll make sure they're disciplined when we get back to the surface."

"Don't worry about it. But if they're knocked out, how are we supposed to get the treasure out of here?"

"That's easy." Otto started, smirking. "You _don't_." Izzy growled in response to that.

"Why you—"

"Hey!" Reggie's voice was heard. Everybody looked up at the hull. The purple haired girl was standing there. Behind her was a rope that was set up in a complex pulley system. "Look out below!"

Moments later, several grunts and groans were heard as the ropes moved. It seemed like a massive object was being lifted. Soon it came into view. It was large. Very large. It must've been at least as tall as Sam! It looked to be as wide as a small car (perhaps a VW Beetle). It was adorned in a very elaborate and ornate gold pattern. It was lined with jewels of all kinds. Those on the ground (that were conscious) felt their eyes go as wide as possible as they realized that it could only have been one thing.

"**THE TREASURE!.!.!**"

"I don't believe it!" Rod said.

"Wow! It's humongous!" Iggy exclaimed. He grabbed Tesoro off Riley's shoulder and held her up. "Look Kitty! It's our treasure!"

"Meow."

"That's the biggest treasure I've ever seen." Riley added in awe.

The gigantic chest, which was being held up by an old, rusty hook, was slowly moved over the cave floor.

"Aw yeah! That _has_ to be real!" Otto cheered.

"I'll be able to fund deep sea projects for life!" Oliver shouted.

"Man, oh man... I can buy an _arcade_ full of games with all that!" Izzy yelled, rubbing his hands greedily. "At long last, it's ours!"

Just as the golden treasure chest was being lowered, the rope holding it up began to unravel. The first to notice it was Iggy, who snapped out of his dreamy state to gasp in horror.

"I-I-I-I-I-Izzy...?" He stuttered, pulling on his older brother's sleeve.

"What is it, Iggy?" The taller one said in a daze. "I'm fantasizing."

"I think we should m-m-m-m-m-move."

"That's nice..."

The chest began to get heavier for the rope to hold.

Rod blinked and noticed as well. He turned to Otto.

"Ottoman, we better get out of the way..." He said, trying to get the older boy's attention the same way Iggy was. "The chest is about to fall!"

"Hmm-mmm..." The one in the sunglasses nodded numbly.

"Meow..." Tesoro mewed frightfully, nudging against her mistress' leg.

"Not now, girl..." Riley said in a daze.

"IZZY!.!.!"

"OTTO!.!.!"

"REEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOWWWWWW!.!.!" Tesoro jumped up and scratched Riley across the face.

"YEOW!.!.!" The treasure hunter yelped. "Tesoro, what're you—" She looked up and noticed the danger. "GET OUTTA THE WAY!.!.!"

"Huh?.?.?" Otto, Izzy, and Oliver said, blinking as they turned to her. She only pointed up in response. The trio gasped as **THE ROPE SNAPPED!.!.!**

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!.!.!" All six of them screamed as they scrambled to move. They jumped away, narrowly avoiding getting crushed. Everybody was on the ground, panting as they tried to get their bearings straight.

"Oh man!" Twister shouted as he, Sam, Scott, and Reggie ran out of the hull.

"Are you guys alright?" Sam asked.

"Ugh... Yeah... We're fine, Squid..." Otto huffed as he helped Rod stand.

"We're ok too." Riley answered as she stood up.

"Meow." Tesoro added as she hopped on her shoulder.

"That was close..." Oliver moaned as he stood.

"I'm ok, Sammy-Sam..." Iggy added, shaking his head as he got to his feet.

"What'd I tell you about calling him that!.?.!" Izzy roared as he shot to his feet.

"Oops... Sorry, bro..." The shorter sibling apologized, pressing his fingers together.

"Well, well. I was wondering when _you_ were going to show up." The rounder bespectacled one said.

"Oh you have, have you!.?" Izzy shouted at the blond. "Well I have news for ya! That treasure belongs to us!"

"YEAH!.!.!" The rest of his group, including the sailors (who were back to their feet) agreed.

"Well, there's no way you bunch of lame-os are leaving this cave with it!" Otto roared.

"YEAH!.!.!" Most of his crew shouted.

"Can't we all share it?" Reggie compromised.

"**NO!.!.!**"

She sulked as she backed down.

"Hey! That treasure rightfully belongs to me!"

Everybody turned to face Lars and his cronies. It seemed that they regained consciousness during that squabble.

"None of you will live long enough to spend that gold!" The brunet declared, drawing his sword again.

"Over our dead bodies!" Twister yelled. His brother slapped his forehead.

"Duh! That's the point!"

Everybody gave the members of the opposing groups a cold, icy glare as they drew their respective weapons. They looked to their respective partners and nodded, getting ready to die for the right to leave the cavern with the gold jewels. Everyone looked at their rivals as they tightened their grips on their arms. Sweat poured down their faces as they got ready to go at it.

"Well, in that case..." Otto started, looking all around the perimeter. He took a deep breath. "**_FREE FOR ALL1.!.!_**"

Five seconds. That's all it took before the room lit up in all out warfare.


	21. On the Battlefield

The Elusive Treasure

Chapter Twenty-One

On the Battlefield

Everyone looked in horror at Lars - Lorenzo and his croons. Their faces were pale, and their eyes were glowing red. Their voices sounded... hollow, empty, and an aura of sheer evil emanated from them.

When the fight exploded, the three teams charged. The 20 kids were fighting with each other with all their might

Soon it was clear that the pirates had the advantage, though. In spite of being severely outnumbered, they fought like so many devils with their daggers and cutlasses, making the rest of the gang keep a good pair of steps behind.  
Scott was really concerned about the safety of all the kids, but particularly about Rod and, in good measure, about Iggy and Riley, even though the little Dutchman and the treasure hunter did a very good job defending themselves.

Tesoro was also participating in the fight. As if she knew exactly who was the enemy, the kitten jumped to Sputs' face and started slashing it with her claws, making the teenager cry in pain and run all over the ship, trying in vain to get rid of that ferocious cat, and speaking clearly for once in his life due to the pain and fright he was experiencing.

As for Oliver and his crew, after a couple of close encounters with Lorenzo's cutlass, had abandoned the fight and run for dear life, abandoning the Lopez bros and the treasure hunter.

Izzy looked at them and cursed. "Cowards! Come back!"

"They're gone, bro!" - said Iggy, ducking behind his brother (who was safely watching the fight behind a stalagmite)

"So much for Oliver Van Rossum and his crew... that will teach you never to trust geeks for a real man's work, Iggy!"

"B...but... it was you who hired those guys!"

"Shaddap! We'll discuss that later; now we must find a way to get a hold of that chest!"

So, the battle soon became rather balanced. The four pirates (Sputs sporting a fresh set of scars, courtesy of Tesoro) were fighting the six Ozone Street regulars, plus Riley.

The battle had to end somehow, and unfortunately, Roderick was feeling really tired - it was not easy for him to keep active for so long. Suddenly, Roderick slipped and fell on his back on the wet mud. He was exhausted, and was breathing fast. Lorenzo did not lose this chance, and put his boot on the boy's right arm, immobilizing him.

He was ready to give the final blow when something happened.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRGGGHH!"

"What the...?" - said Lorenzo, stepping back in confusion and releasing Roderick.

He had to react really fast to stop the blow Scott dealt him. It was evident that Lorenzo was a very good swordsman, but the intensity of the attack took him by surprise.

Scott, with one of the blades the gang had confiscated, charged directly at Lorenzo and swung, nicking the possessed teen's chin.

Lorenzo put his fingers on his chin, and noticed they were covered in blood. He licked it, and his eyes glowed even more in anger.

"This will cost you dearly!" - said the possessed

"OUT, UNCLEAN SPIRIT!" the Sanchez boy commanded with a frightening voice.

"It takes a lot more than a simple scratch to make me leave this body! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

Lorenzo charged Scott with all his might and fury. He was a very good swordsman, and immediately used all the attack positions he had learnt when he was young.

He started with a direct blow in first position, aimed right to Scott's heart, but Scott blocked the blade with a deft movement of his cutlass.

Lorenzo retreated and attacked again, this time aiming to the teen's face. Scott again blocked the blade, causing sparks to fly from the steely weapons.

"You could have avoided all this trouble by letting the kid go to pay off papa's creditors," taunted Scott.

"And let him take away the key to my treasure chest? NEVER!"

"That mushroom the little brat tried to steal from me holds the key to my treasure chest!" - said Lorenzo, as he dealt another blow to Scott, who deftly stopped it.  
"So that's what that mushroom was for!" - thought Felipe, surprised - "No wonder he got so mad at me when I took it. But yet..."

"What!" Izzy hissed, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out the fungus in question, which was still glowing. "You mean to tell me _this_ thing has a use, after all?"

Scott shifted his weight and lifted a knee into Lorenzo's groin, then pushed him towards the floor with all his might. He reached for the stunner in his pocket, aimed, and fired.

"Hey bro. If _we_ have the key, couldn't we just get the treasure right now?" Iggy whispered, not keeping his eyes off the battle.

"Of course we can." The elder brother scoffed. "But if we go for it _now_, they'll come after us. We gotta wait for the right opportunity."

Lorenzo got a direct hit from the stunner. For a moment, Lars' body crackled with electricity, but, to Scott's surprise, the pirate raised immediately on his feet, still cracking.

"Heh, heh, heh. Nice try, kid. But those... toys can't affect a dead man. Now it's my turn..."

"Woah! That guy can fry people?" Iggy gasped, looking at Scott in shock.

Lorenzo charged again at Scott, who didn't have time to completely block the blade.

"Keep it down!" Izzy shushed. "Hmmmm... I must admit, I didn't know they'd be so well prepared."

"I thought you had everything under control, bro."

"Pffft, of course I do. _We_ got the key, remember?"

"Right." Iggy nodded.

They went back to watching the fight.****

Lorenzo then brought his free hand down. It glanced off of Scott's helmeted head, and onto his shoulder. Scott, gritting his teeth in pain, slumped to the floor as Lorenzo withdrew his blade from Scott's shoulder. The lad fell to the floor, muttering several four-letter words..

"Ouch... Looks like that guy couldn't do it." Iggy said, looking at Scott mournfully.

"Hmmm..." Izzy didn't have anything to say.

"SCOTT! NOOOOO!" - cried Roderick, as he jumped to confront the pirate.

The boy made a quick forward jump and hit Lorenzo's hand with his right foot, just when the pirate was preparing to deal the final blow to Scott.

"TAKE THIS, YOU MORON! KIAAAHHH!"

Rod hit Lorenzo's right hand, making the pirate drop his blade.

"Woah! That kid's good!" The elder Lopez Brother said, looking at Rod with wide eyes.

"Yeah... I wouldn't wanna mess with him." The younger one agreed, nodding.

But the boy, in his despair, had forgotten a basic rule of Karate: Never let your feelings cloud your judgment. In his effort to protect his friend, he got too close to the pirate.

"HAH! GOTCHA!"

Lorenzo grabbed Roderick by the neck of his shirt and soon immobilized him-

Scott began struggling to his feet, glancing at Sammy--Otto--Reggie...

"HEY! LET ME GO!" Roderick tried desperately to free himself, but soon Lorenzo put a dagger to his throat.

"Looks like it's over, bro..." Iggy said sadly. Izzy just watched in interest.

"Now, listen carefully, you lowly rats! If you don't want to see this little brat pay a visit to his ancestors, you better drop your weapons and surrender to us!"

"Don't listen to him, guys! He... he can't get the treasure! Remember what Felipe told us!" - cried Rod, struggling to free himself

Scott uttered a word that drew the Lasers' attention. "Parlay."

"Shaddap!" - said Lorenzo, crashing Roderick violently against the mast of the ship, stunning him. "What you say, kid?" - said Lorenzo, looking at Scott

"What's 'parlay?'" Iggy asked.

"I think it's some kinda pirate term. I remember hearing it in some movie." Izzy answered.

"If we cooperate, and assuming you're a man of your word," coughed Scott, "what's in it for us?"

"Heh. I don't think you are in a position to negotiate, kids. But I am a man of honor, and you've fought well."

"That's new." Izzy commented. "An _honorable_ pirate?"

"If you cooperate, I will let you live. But if you continue causing trouble to me and my men, I swear by Beelzebub, I'll make you all reunite with your ancestors, starting with this little kid!"

Lorenzo drew the blade a bit closer to Rod's neck, making a slight cut on it, to mark his words. Scott discharged the remaining energy in his stunner harmlessly into a large puddle, and tossed both it and a cutlass at his feet.

"For the moment, I'll take you at your word. But if me or any of my friends does not survive this day, each of you will eventually answer to God Himself. Good fight." Scott resumed his reclining position on the ground.

"They're _giving_ _up_?" Iggy asked incredulously. "And it was getting good too..."

"Hmph. It seems like things are going in our favor." Izzy said.

Lorenzo saw as all the kids made the same sign. One by one, Otto, Reggie, Twister, Riley and Sam dropped their weapons to the ground, and stood there, looking both nervous and defiantly to the pirate.

"Very well, kids. A wise decision" - said Lorenzo, putting the knife away from Rod.

"Wha? How can you say that, bro?" The shorter brunet hissed.

"Gentlemen" - said Lorenzo - "Accompany these... kids to the hold, and lock them there!"

"Simple. Things are going in our favor." The older brother repeated.

"But they got Riley and Kitty!"

"Meh."

"..." Iggy gaped at him.

"Hey! What about Roderick?" - said Twister, as Pi pushed him down the stairs - "You said you would free him!"

"I never said that, Felipe!" - answered Lorenzo - "This kid will stay here, with me. That way I'm sure you won't try anything against us"

"My name is Mauricio... I mean, TWISTER! I'm not Felipe!"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."

"Hey, who's Felipe?" Iggy whispered, watching the scene.

"How should I know!" Izzy hissed.

'_Unless..._' He thought idly.

Lorenzo made a dismissive sign with his hand, and the three pirates escorted the kids down to the hold. Soon they returned to deck; they had locked the kids in the hold. Pi was carrying a length of rope. He tied Roderick's hands behind his back, and then secured him to the mast.

"There. That way you won't cause us any trouble, you fistful little brat. Now, tell us. Where is the key to the chest?"

"I... I don't know anything about that key!" - Said Roderick, trying in vain to free himself.

"Good thing he doesn't know about us." Izzy said to Iggy. "If he's anything like _you_, he'd probably blab."

Iggy just stuck his tongue out at him in response.

"I see. Well, I have time. Sooner or later you or your friends will tell us. But you better do it fast; as you can see, the tide is rising. I'll give you one hour to think. If you don't tell us where the key is..."

Lorenzo pointed to a protruding plank firmly fastened to one of the edges of the deck. Roderick gasped; it was --- It had to be the same plank from which the pirate had executed his brother.

"... You'll all keep company to my good-for-nothing little brother. HAH,HAH,HAH,HAH,HAH,HAH,HAH,HAH!"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"I... I can't believe it... It... It's happening again! Oh, god! Please, don't let Lorenzo do that to the kids. It's... my fault... I must... I must find a way to help them!"

Felipe looked in disbelief at the terrible scene. Watching Roderick tied to the same mast, and menaced to suffer the same fate... it was too terrible.

"Alright, Iggy. Now's our chance." Izzy said stepping around from behind the stalagmite. "With those idiot pirates busy with Blondie and the others, _we'll_ grab the treasure and get outta here."

"But what about that kid and the others?" Iggy asked, following him.

"Eh," The elder brother shrugged. "I'm sure they'll get outta here. Eventually."

"How can ya just say that! We can't just leave 'em here!"

"First of all, keep ya trap shut already! We can't let them know we're still here!" Izzy hissed. "Second, why shouldn't we? I bet if _we_ were in the same situation, Blondie and the rest of them would just leave us here to croak."

"No way..." Iggy said with a gaping expression.

"I wouldn't put it past them." The taller brunet nodded. "After all, you remember how ruthless they were the day we met, don't ya?"

"B-b-but that guy tried to save that kid..."

"Doesn't mean they'd treat _us_ the same way." Izzy crossed his arms. "Like I said, they'd leave us to get killed by those guys."

Soon, they arrived at the massive chest that almost claimed their lives a few moments earlier.

"Now let's see..." The older brother muttered.

Down in the hold, or what was left of it...

Scott was speaking quietly, as the others listened. "We are now faced with a question of survival. Eventually, someone is going to open up that hatch and come down that staircase. He will expect us to be afraid. But, we must be willing to accept the possibility of having to kill someone in order to get freedom for the rest of us. There are more than enough of us here to be able to do this to one, or maybe even two, people. Just remember to ask to speak to Johnny Cochran if any of you are questioned, if this gets messy..."

He grunted as Reggie tied a makeshift dressing around Scott's wound.

"Anyway, for what it's worth, I love each of you as brothers...and, uh, sisters. And I'm sorry this got out of hand. I really wasn't expecting a battle royale against the unknown."

"Scott, do you think Roderick is all right?" - said Reggie, really concerned.

"I... I don't know, Reggie. To be honest, I do hope he is well."

"He is all right" - said a voice, remarkably similar to Twister's - "At least for the moment"

"Felipe?" asked Scott.

All the kids looked at one corner of the hold. They all see Felipe slowly materialize in front of them. The ghost seemed to be terribly sad, and anguished, and his sadness moved all the kids.

"I'm... so sorry this happened, kids. It's my fault. I should have never involved you in this quest. If... if I had kept those boxes hidden..."

"You mean, you let us find those boxes, Felipe?" - asked Sam.

"Yeah... I did... See, I've been waiting for over 300 years now, until someone... brave, with pure heart... could find this cursed treasure and release me from my watch. Many people have tried to find this chest, but none of them were worth of it. And then, I saw you there, playing on the beach. I immediately noticed how close friends you are, and how brave and noble hearts you have, and thought you were the persons I've been waiting for.

"But I... didn't expect Lorenzo to be freed too. It was... something unexpected. As soon as that kid with the missing tooth appeared, Lorenzo took him as host. Please forgive me, kids. I swear I will do anything I can to help you out of this situation."

_Meanwhile..._

"Iggy, keep watch while I try to figure this thing out." Izzy said, inspecting the treasure chest. "If anybody comes, tell me so that we can run for it."

"R-r-r-r-r-right..." Iggy trembled. He knew that they were in big trouble and all his brother could think about was getting rich.

Izzy soon found a key hole shaped strangely like the mushroom. Snickering evilly, he pulled out the fungus and inserted it into the hole. He turned it twice before hearing the lock's tumblers do their thing. With a quick click, the chest opened, causing the boys to be engulfed in a golden light. He reached inside and prepared to grab his just reward.

A few moments passed before a horrified gasp was heard. The brunet pulled his head back and slammed the chest with a thunderous roar.

"I-I-I-I-Izzy...?" Iggy shuddered, backing away from the apparently cheesed off brunet.

Izzy trembled in rage as he slowly thought over this current chain of events. His veins bulged as his face turned a deep, dark red.

He breathed slowly, trying to calm down, but it was quickly becoming apparent that he was about to blow in a gigantic fit of curses.

"M-m-m-m-m-m-my treasure..." He turned to Iggy, his eyes red and full of flames of great hate. "**A BOTTLE!**"

The younger boy was scared for his very life as Izzy advanced towards him, thirsty for blood. He backed Iggy up against the wall and prepared to strike him down. Just as Izzy was about to end it, he stopped and took a deep breath. He relaxed his body, causing his veins to retreat back into his body and his face to return to its normal, tanned look. He breathed for a few more moments before sighing.

"Excuse me a sec." He said, walking towards the other end of the cave. He pulled a mallet seemingly out of nowhere as he walked off camera.

"Not the face! NOT THE FACE!" A voice screamed.

**SUPER ULTIMATE KRABBY PATTY SUPREME HOLD THE MAYO WHAM DELUXE!**

"Ahhhhh... I feel cleansed..." Izzy sighed, walking back into the cave, holding a half broken mallet over his shoulders. He then looked to the right with a dark glare. "NOW FIX IT!"

(Prince Izzy: Stumbles around X.X Jeeze... Can't take a joke... Faints)

(Mike2000: snap!)

The brothers turned towards the treasure chest as a cloud of smoke emanated from it. They walked up to it. Like earlier, Izzy gripped the bottom of the lid.

"Now, let's try this AGAIN!" He roared.

Again, Izzy grabbed the lid and pushed it open, causing them to be engulfed a second time. When the light died down this time, Izzy and Iggy gasped. The chest was filled to the brim with gold and jewels of all sizes! Spanish doubloons, gold bars, crowns, scepters, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds as far as the eye can see!

"WOAH! WE FINALLY HAVE IT!" The older brother bellowed with a grin so huge, it's amazing he didn't stretch out his mouth to its limit.

"Yay! Yay! Yay!" Iggy cheered, forgetting his guilt. "Look at those gigantic jewels! They're bigger than the Master Emerald!"

"Yep! And it's all ours!"

"But wait... What's this thing?"

The younger brother reached into the chest and pulled out what seemed to be an old pirate's hat. It had a skull and crossbones knitted into it. A red feather was sticking out of one corner of it. It looked almost like the hat the infamous pirate Blackbeard wore. Izzy snatched it out of his hands and gave it a look of disgust.

"Blech! A ratty old hat? Among _my_ treasure? Pfffft!" He tossed it to his left. "We don't need some stinkin' hat when we have all this gold!"

Unfortunately for all parties involved, the piece of headwear landed in the _worst_ possible place!

Lorenzo's feet.

"Bwahahahahahahahaha!" The ghost laughed as he picked it up. "Thank you for opening my treasure and freeing my precious hat."

"Huh?"

The brothers turned towards the voice and saw the possessed brunet and the rest of his crew standing a few feet by them. Pi, Sputz, and Animal had their swords held menacingly towards them while the one formally known as Lars inspected his hat.

"Hmmm... Seems to be in alright shape..." He muttered, giving it one more look over. He then smirked at the siblings, who trembled slightly.

"Now that I have what I've longed for over three hundred years, I can finally claim this body as my own and rule as the king of all pirates!"

He gave another evil laugh as he removed the gray beanie on his head and put the pirate's hat on. Instantly, black lightning crackled around his body. He groaned slightly as he clenched his fists, feeling the power of his full spirit returning to him. The other members of his crew enjoyed a similar sensation. The dark energy came out of the very ground they were standing on and engulfed them, empowering them.

Izzy and Iggy, watching the scene in horror, clung to each other for safety.

"I-I-I-Izzy!" The latter shouted over the noise.

"Wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-wh-what!" The former replied.

"D-d-d-d-d-didn't that ghost thingy say not to let the pirate with the missing tooth reach the treasure!"

"Y-y-y-y-yeah...! What about—" Izzy slapped his head. "Aw crap! I _knew_ I was forgetting something!"

Soon, the noise quieted down and the lightning stopped flowing. Remnants of electricity floated in the air. The Lopez Brothers remained clung to each other as they studied the four forms in front of them.

Instead of their normal clothes, they were now wearing pirate outfits. Pi, Sputz, and Animal were wearing tattered shorts, patched up shirts, and bandanas. Lars, however, was fully decked out. He was wearing a black uniform that had many gold buttons and various other decorations on it. A scabbard, which had a sinister design on it, was strapped to his side, by a brown, leather sash. He was also wearing a pair of polished boots. Finally, his hat looked more authentic than it did when Izzy tossed it aside.

All four of their heads were facing the floor, but that soon changed when they looked up. Their eyes looked normal for the most part. But looking closer, one can see the differences immediately. They all had a sinister, deadly look in them, not to mention a faint, but lethal, red tint in the depths of their pupils.

"Finally!" Lorenzo shouted, stretching his arms and legs, along with the rest of the crew. "I'm alive again!"

He stretched for a few moments longer before glaring at the siblings who were still shuddering in fright in front of the treasure.

"Now step aside unless you want to die a painful death." He growled. Both brothers gulped.

"R-r-r-r-r-r-r-right a-a-a-a-a-away, M-m-m-m-m-mister. Pirate man, sir..." Izzy trembled.

He was about to move when a great light engulfed the room, causing the pirates to back away.

"Ugh!" Lorenzo grunted, covering his eyes. "That light! It can't be!"

"Huh?" The brothers raised confused eyebrows at them. It seemed that they weren't affected by the light.

Izzy turned and noticed that the mushroom was the cause of the sudden brightness. While the pirates were preoccupied, he reached over and grabbed the fungus from the keyhole.

"What's going on, bro?" Iggy asked strangely.

"How should I know?" Izzy demanded. "I got lost after the boss pulled that stunt with that stupid bottle!"

"_I can't believe you two!_" A familiar voice boomed inside their minds.

"Ahhhh! The ghost!" The smaller brother screamed, hiding behind Izzy. The older brother looked around.

"Oh great! What else can go wrong?"

"_I **told** you not to let Lorenzo get the treasure!_" Felipe shouted.

"But ya didn't say anything about a stupid hat!"

"_When I said 'the treasure,' I meant the WHOLE treasure! Now I'll have to take care of things. I only hope your body will be adequate._"

Izzy didn't like the sound of that. He lifted the mushroom and looked at it suspiciously.

"Whaddya mean?"

"_What do you **think** I mean? I'll possess your body and fight my brother._"

"Hey! Don't _I_ get a say in this!"

"_Of course not. It's **your** fault this happened in the first place!_" Felipe answered. "_Now stand still. This'll only take a second._"

Izzy looked around frantically. He didn't want to get possessed! He had to get rid of this thing and fast!

"Aw man... What am I gonna do!" He yelled desperately.

That was when he realized there _was_ a solution to his dilemma. He smirked evilly as he turned towards Iggy, who was huddled against the stalagmite they were standing by moments ago.

"Hey Iggy!" He shouted. The boy looked up as Izzy held back the mushroom. "Go long!"

With that, he pitched the glowing fungus towards his sibling. As the mushroom spun through the air like a football, Iggy ran, trying to stay under the "ball." It soon descended towards the boy, who held his hands up.

Annnnnnnnnnnd... He catches it! TOUCHDOWN, LOPEZ BROTHERS! And the crowd goes wild!

"Yes!" He cheered, dancing around with the mushroom held up. "I caught it, Izzy! I can make a really good baseball player!"

He laughed heartily for a few seconds before he gasped and looked at the "ball." His eyes bulged when he noticed he was holding the **MUSHROOM!** He glared at his brother.

"HEY! NO—"

He was cut short as the mushroom's glowing intensified, engulfing him completely. He screamed as he through his head back. His shouts echoed throughout the entire cavern. Soon, his body no longer glowed. Iggy looked downwards as Izzy observed him. The younger sibling looked the same. The only difference was the pure white scabbard that was where his kendo stick originally was. A few seconds passed before he lifted his head.

"Hello, brother." Iggy said, opening his eyes.

Izzy gasped when he noticed three things. One, his eyes showed an expression of pure, full-blooded determination. There also was a faint golden glow within those orbs. Two, that _wasn't_ Iggy's voice. It sounded just like just like Twister! Third, he was facing Lorenzo, who had recovered from the light display.

"Now what are the consequences of what I just did?" Izzy asked himself, holding his chin. He then shrugged. "Meh, at least I get to have front row seats."

"So, you actually decided to take your own host, huh?" Lorenzo asked as Iggy--erm, _Felipe_ walked towards him. "And just what do you hope to accomplish?"

"You won't leave this cave with that treasure, Lorenzo!" Felipe barked, drawing his sword. "En guarde!"

With his good arm, Scott extracted a blue and silver can from a pouch on the side of his trousers. He opened it and drank some of the tasty stimulant. Soon he could stand, then, haltingly, walk. "You were right about this stuff, Otto," he remarked. "It does give you a ...boost when you might need one." Cautiously Scott began to examine their surroundings inside the hold. As he pretty much expected, it was not quite as solid as their captors might have hoped. There was a false bottom underneath the part of the floor where the cajon had been laid.

A creaking of hinges was heard from a corner of the hold. "Twist! Check this out," Otto whispered hoarsely.

The one in the winged helmet did so. "Spiky poles, and swords, and..." The others gingerly stepped over the creaky floorboards to look on.

"...And a few single-shot flintlock pistols, if I'm not mistaken," Scott observed.

"Which would be next to useless, unless we had a supply of gunpowder and lead balls," Sam noticed.

"Even so, there's always the element of surprise and intimidation," noted Reg. Scott went back to the area he'd been scrutinizing. He pulled up the false bottom, which revealed a small wooden barrel, painted red, and a small open box containing small blobs of blue-gray metallic substance. "I guess we're in luck, and I hope we don't need it," stated Scott.

As the others rummaged through that hidden armory, they came upon a couple of extra-long crowbars. "We could pull this brig apart as though the hull were made out of hundred-year-old spaghetti," observed Riley. Sam and Scott were already busying themselves decanting the black powder into a couple of hollowed-out cow's horns made to carry the stuff, and carefully loading each of the four relatively intact firearms they'd located with the proper smidgen of powder and one projectile. Were one of the weapons to be fired, it would take about a minute to reload; but in a worst case scenario, they seemed to agree that at most two shots might need to be fired.

"Now or never, guys," urged Riley, Tesoro perched nervously on her shoulder as she toted one of the giant tongs. Reg dragged the other bar up, and the gang readied themselves to break out.

_Meanwhile, outside the ship..._

The situation was extremely tense. Lorenzo and Felipe stared each other down, their eyes showing intense concentration and focus. Both brothers were about ten to twenty feet away from each other. The one in Iggy's body was stationed right in front of the immense treasure chest, prepared to defend it, no matter what the cause. He held his sword with both hands as if there was a trace of doubt in his mind. He glowered at Lorenzo, trying to figure out his strategy.

Lorenzo, meanwhile, had an air of confidence around him as if he was sure of his victory. He held his sword with one hand as he sized up his younger sibling. He used the other to pick lint off his uniform. From the moment he saw the doubt in Felipe's eyes, he knew that he had no reason to be afraid. After all, he killed his brother once. There's no reason why he couldn't do it again.

As for everyone else present, the ones formally known as Pi, Sputz, and Animal were standing behind their captain, ready to defend him and overwhelm his brother if the situation called for it. Izzy was standing on Felipe's left. The pale, shaky look in his eyes showed that he was confused and scared. He clearly had no idea what to do. After all, his own brother was possessed by a real life ghost, who was about to fight the pirate for the coveted treasure. The one HE has been trying to find for the past five days. He was well aware that he should just make off with the great riches while the ancient seamen fought. He'd have it all for himself and be wealthy beyond his wildest dreams!

Then again... Although two spirits were about to clash, there was the little factor of Iggy being possessed by one of them. The elder Lopez couldn't just leave him behind! ...But the treasure...! And so that's why he was confused.

"I'll ask you again. What makes you think you can actually defeat _me_?" Lorenzo broke the stifling silence.

"I don't know, but I'm going to try! It's better than letting you get what you don't deserve!" Felipe shouted.

"Hmph! Have you forgotten that I taught you everything you know about sword fighting? You couldn't beat me even if you have eternity!"

"We'll see about that!" The younger ghost spat. "I won't lose even if we have to battle for a hundred years!"

The elder one smirked. "Even at the cost of your so-called 'friends?'"

"What do you mean?" Felipe asked, narrowing his eyes.

Lorenzo snickered. "As we speak, mine, yours, and my men's spirits are taking over our hosts' bodies. Soon, it'll be too late to leave them. We'll be born again, able to breathe and feel! _They_ on the other hand will be thrown into eternal limbo! Muahahahahahahaha!"

Pi, Sputz and Animal joined in the laughing as Felipe and Izzy gasped.

"WHAT!" The latter demanded. "Get out of his body now!"

"I-I-I can't..." The former said solemnly, looking down. "I have to defeat Lorenzo... We can't let him get that treasure..."

Izzy blinked, his eyes widening. "But—"

"If we're through with the pleasantries, I believe I have a treasure to claim." The one inhabiting Lars' body said, getting into a defensive position. He then smirked. "Now either I can humiliate you at this very moment and destroy your host. Or, I can just wait until you completely take over his body so that I can kill you all over again."

"You'll do no such thing!"

Lorenzo hung his head low as he closed his eyes.

"Well then, if you really think you stand a chance..." He looked up with a blood red glare. "Then prepare yourself! YAH!"

With that, the crazed pirate charged right towards Felipe with his sword held high. The boy in the purple cap tightened the grip on his blade before running head-on as well. Due to Lars being much taller than Iggy, the gap closed fast.

Felipe barely had time to defend himself when Lorenzo brought his sword crashing down. The younger boy held up his sword to block the blow. As soon as the blades connected, a struggle began. Lars' body tried to force the sword down on Iggy, but the one controlling the younger Lopez Brother wouldn't have it. He pushed right back. However, it was soon apparent that Iggy's body wasn't strong enough to gain the upper hand. Before he knew what was coming, Lorenzo abandoned the struggle, causing Felipe to lose his balance. Taking advantage of this moment of weakness, the captain crouched low and knocked his brother off his feet with a sweep kick.

"Augh!" The boy yelped as he landed on the hard ground. He moaned as he tried to regain his bearings. He looked up and felt his eyes go wide as he saw Lorenzo coming in for a leap! His sword was aimed right for Iggy's heart!

Adrenaline pumping, he rolled out of the way just in time. Lorenzo's sword pierced the ground with a clang that echoed throughout the chamber. Unfortunately for the pirate, his weapon had become stuck.

"Ugh! Worthless piece of junk!" He cursed.

'Now's my chance!' Felipe thought.

He got to his feet and pounced on his brother. Lorenzo barely got his sword free when his opponent landed a hard punch right on Lars' cheek. He quickly followed up with a kick that was surprisingly fast.

'Heh, this "Iggy" is very agile.' He thought, chuckling as the pirate recovered from that last attack.

"That was luck, ya landlubber! You won't get another hit like that again! Count on it!"

Felipe got into an offensive stance as the duel continued.

Back inside the hold, as the gang was about to pry themselves out, Sam took Otto aside. "I want you to take my pistol, so you can fire as many as two shots."

The auburn one studied his bespectacled friend quizzically. Sam continued, "I scare easily and I can't hit the broad side of a barn. You're probably gonna want to take the fight right to the bad guys the second we get out of here, and I want you to be safe. You're the bravest guy I know. What I wouldn't give for a tenth of your courage."

"It's okay, Squid," Otto reassured, gripping the former's shoulder. "We're gonna pull through this..."

The others donned their sword-carriers and gripped at the tongs, preparing to break out. "On the count of three, guys!" commanded Reggie. "One..."

Twister crossed himself with eyes clenched shut.

"...Two..."

Otto prayed quickly for guidance and cojones to do what needed to be done in the next few minutes, confident in the dictum that if he should fall in a noble cause for his friends, his salvation wouldn't be in question.

"...THREE!"


	22. The Final Battle

The Elusive Treasure

Chapter Twenty-Two

The Final Battle

The hatches gave way with a mighty splintering crunch, as the kids broke out on deck brandishing a fearsome array of sharpened steel. Sam chopped away the bonds that held Roderick as Twister retrieved for the young Dutchman his katana. Reg and Scott brought up the rear, wielding fearsome partisan pikes, as the squad moved in on the conflict.

Scott brought the blunt end of his weapon into Pi's belly, then pivoted and shoved him to the deck with his foot. Bringing the weapon around so that the pointy end faced Pi's throat, he was able to gain the hoodlum's surrender. He and Reg flipped the teen over and bound his wrists with plastic restraints Scott had brought for the eventuality.

When they released Roderick, Otto and the rest of the gang heard the metallic noise of the sword fight. When they looked, they were really surprised (and terrified) to see Iggy actually fighting Lorenzo with a cutlass.

"What the..." - said Otto in disbelief, pointing to Iggy - "What is he doing? And where did he learn to fight with a sword like that?"

"Who?" - asked Riley, looking in the direction indicated by Otto's extended arm.  
She couldn't believe it. She considered Iggy a very good friend of her - after all, he was one of the few persons with whom Tesoro was really comfortable with.

Just then she saw Lorenzo land a very powerful blow on Iggy's blade, who raised it in high to cover his head. The strength of the blow was such that it forced Iggy to fall to his knees.

"Iggy!" - she screamed, and dashed to the rescue

"Riley! WAIT" cried Reggie, but to no use.

Riley jumped down the forecastle to the deck where the fight was being carried out, and without notice jumped on Lorenzo's back, just in time to prevent him from landing another massive blow on Iggy's blade

"What the..." - cried Lorenzo, startled and loosing his balance, giving Iggy a chance to stand up and get in an in-guard position again

"TAKE HER OFF ME!" - cried to his men.

Riley jumped from his back, ready to fight, when she felt someone grab her by the back of her bandanna.

"Hey, go easy on the 'do," she said, thinking it was the other Lopez brother.

Riley was strong for a girl of her build, but no amount of struggling seemed to loosen the boys' grips.

She found herself being dragged away from Lorenzo. Animal roughly shoved her to her knees.

"All taken care of, Captain!" - mumbled Animal, holding Riley from her shoulders - "What do you want us to do with her?"

"MAKE HER WALK THE PLANK WHILE I TAKE CARE OF THIS PEST!" - yelled Lorenzo, resuming his unequal fight with Felipe.

----

Lou lay in his hospital bed, grateful that the institution subscribed to a full spectrum of cable TV. He had a visitor, a girl who might have been mistaken for a big sister of Twister.

Debby Hollister had been out of town camping with her mom and dad, and on reading in the Ocean Shores Gazette what had happened over the previous couple of days headed straight for the hospital to look in on Lou.

Her and Scott had been going steady for a little bit, and she had kind of adopted Lou as her "big brother".

The two munched out on the cheeseburgers she'd brought up, and brought each other up to speed on the latest gossip. "And Scott and those guys from over Ozone Street--what are they up to right now?" she asked.

"They're checking out that cave beyond the Glowing Pool at Explorers Park," Lou replied. "Supposedly checking out a lead on some ancient treasure."

"I've been in that cave before," Debby replied with absolute confidence. "There's nothing in there except a couple of weird old monuments like a twenty foot long pair of hands, and a marble archway without a door, just a wall of solid rock. I even wrote an article for _Reggie's Zine_ about it."

Lou finished sipping on his iced tea. "If only you knew what I've become privy to..." he said, just as his phone rang.

Its display displayed an overseas number he did not recognize. That probably meant...

_"HIYA SPORT!"_ boomed a mature male voice, full of pride and confidence.

"Uh, Hey Dad," acknowledged Lou. "I... imagine you heard all about what happened, huh? I know you're probably worried, but I'm feeling better and doing okay."

_Thanks in no small part to my friends' charity and courage,_ he thought about saying, or not saying.

"I'm glad you're okay, Lou," replied Mr. Crumpacker."

But, this wouldn't have had anything to do with some rumored treasure over in the Tierra Perforada? Me 'n a couple of other guys tried once..."

"Actually, yes. Believe it or not, one of those kids over on Ozone Street literally stumbled across some new information, so I think something's gotta be there. I should be hearing from Scott in a little while..."

Lou caught his breath, continuing: "Him and the other guys are searching an alternate route to the probable location of the treasure. Any way, I'm sorry that your trip got interrupted..."

_"Aah, don't worry about that,"_ spoke an older female voice.

_"Between rain, and muddy water, and power failures...Heh. Santosha will always be there. But we'll be glad to see you. We should be there in a day, or three, luv."_

"Alright Mom. See you guys then, and keep Dad out of trouble."

__

"Alright Louie. Take care! Love you." Mrs. Crumpacker kissed, then hung up.

Lou cringed briefly at the thought of his mishap becoming a global news story, but such coverage was practically inevitable these days, especially given the instrumental role of some extraordinary kids in his survival.

"I think I'm gunna take a nap now, Debby," said Lou. "I'll give you a callas soon as I hear from Scott. "He extended his fist, and she tapped it with hers with a smile as she left.

Riley had a brief flashback to a painting her parents owned, which depicted Felipe on the edge of the plank. She knew panicking was a bad idea, but couldn't help herself. Riley reached behind her back, trying to undo the ropes. She struggled for several minutes, getting nothing but a sore shoulder.

"Hey, can one of you guys untie me?" she asked.

The others shook their heads. They were too far away to be of much help. Riley had a suspicion that Lorenzo wasn't going to keep his end of the bargain.

Lorenzo was fuming now. All his men had been defeated and captured by those landlubber rats, and now he was outnumbered.

And to make things worse, that rat Felipe had proved to be a very good swordsman. Yeah, he was weaker than him, but he had learnt his moves very well, and still remembered them clearly in spite of all those years.

But he was still controlling the situation. He noticed that Felipe's host was getting tired quickly. Lorenzo smiled evilly when he noticed Iggy panting. 'The end is near', he thought. 'As long as the others were busy trying to dominate his men, he would stand a chance.

"You better surrender now, Felipe" - said Lorenzo, giving another blow to his brother's blade - "your host is really tired now. If you surrender I might only execute you, and leave the others alone!"

"Huh? Tired?" Izzy blinked, looking at Felipe. Indeed, Iggy's body was shaking and heaving. It didn't look like he could last much longer. He blinked again and said to Felipe. "But wait. I thought you were controlling him! How can only he be tired!"

"Well, I'm dead, remember?" - answered Felipe. "On the other hand, your brother is still alive, and his body is getting really tired with all this... WHOA! ... effort!" - added as he dodged another blow.

"Ugh!" The elder Lopez Brother slapped his head. "Ya really didn't think this through, huh?"

"Hey, give me a break! I've been dead for 300 years! I... YIKES! ... I kinda forgot how easily you get tired when you are alive!"

Right then, Iggy tripped and fell to his knees. He was very tired, and couldn't stand up as fast as he would have liked.

"AHA! GOTCHA!" - cried Lorenzo, preparing to give the final blow to his brother's host

Izzy gasped. "Iggy!" He then glowered. "Hey! Watch it with him, Casper!"

"I-I-Izzy... Help...help me..." Iggy's voice was heard groaning as Felipe tried desperately to move.

"I-I-Iggy...?" The taller brunet paled as his eyes widened.

He then started to remember what Oliver told him that night at the hospital. That his need to save his brother only showed his love for him. But he couldn't actually care that much about him! ...Could he? He shook his head when he noticed the kendo stick strapped to his leg. He grabbed the hilt and held it at arm's length, trying to figure out what to do. He had to save his brother! But he could die in the process, not to mention lose the treasure.

"Izzy!"

"Huh?" The boy blinked and turned to Sam, who delivered that call.

"Do something already! He's your brother!"

Izzy glowered at him. "Duh! I know that, ya idiot!" He blinked and looked to his side. "But I..."

That was when something sparked inside him like a small ember growing into a flame and then into a towering inferno. He had no idea where this sudden rush of rage came from, but he wasn't going to let go to waste. He looked ahead at Lorenzo, who was only mere feet away from Iggy. Drawing a breath, he clenched the wooden blade with both hands and charged forward.

"Now you die!" The pirate declared, raising his sword above the younger Lopez Brother's head. "Now the treasure is mine!" He readied his sword.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Wha...?" Lorenzo turned towards Izzy, who made that mighty roar.

Before he knew what was coming, the boy in the blue hat jumped as high as he could with the kendo stick drawn above his head and brought crashing down onto the captain's head, knocking him face first into the hard earth. Lorenzo bounced off the floor with a sickening thud. Before he could retaliate, Izzy followed up his strike with a great upper swing, knocking him into the air. He then leapt towards him, spun once as if performing an Ollie, and swung hard, connecting with Lars' chest. Sam and everyone else watching gasped in shock as Lorenzo landed a good five to ten feet from the other brunet. They then turned to the elder Lopez Brother, who was panting. His head was hung low as he stood in front of his brother's body, holding his sword in a defensive stance.

"Heh, heh. Not bad, kid" - said Lorenzo, standing up and wiping a drop of blood from the side of his mouth - "But in case you don't know it, my host is used to fight and win. So I'm afraid I'll take care of the both of you right now" - added, taking his sword again and preparing to resume fighting as if nothing had happened.

"Possessed or not..." Izzy started. He then looked up with a look that nobody, not even Iggy, ever seen on his face. It was a look of determination, pure rage, and what seemed to be...love? "Nobody hurts my little brother!"

"Yeah, whatever. You still have a chance to leave and let me finish my pending issues with that lowly rat of Felipe; or else..."

Izzy didn't even bat an eyelash at the threat. "Never. No matter what, me and my brother will defeat you!"

"What am I, chopped liver?" Felipe muttered as Iggy struggled to his feet.

"Oh, well. it's your choice. _en guard!_"__

Lorenzo gave a series of quick blows to Izzy's katana with his cutlass. No matter how hard the wooden sword was, it was obviously no match for that old, yet strong steel blade.

"Ack! Maybe I'm way over my head!" Izzy shouted, desperately trying to defend himself. The pirate's thrusts were like lightning. It was extremely hard to evade and block. He even got cut a few times.

"Well it's too late!" Felipe yelled, joining in the effort. "You chose to fight and Lorenzo won't give up until we're both gone!"

"I wish I knew that sooner!" The taller boy yelped, barely dodging Lorenzo's latest strike.

The battle continued with neither side gaining an advantage. The duo and the captain were at a stalemate. Both sides got in some hits, but the majority was blocked by either of the two spiritual brothers' swords. Soon, the late comer was found at a great disadvantage when Lorenzo managed to slice his kendo stick in two, rendering it useless.

"Bwahahaha! It will be doubly funny to terminate you again, Felipe! And this time I'll make sure you have some company!"- said Lorenzo, preparing (again) to deal the final blow.

"Ah great!" Izzy groaned, inspecting his weapon. "What're we going to do!"

"Ack..." Felipe moaned, kneeling. He puffed as he drew in small breaths. "I'm too tired and your weapon is broken. We're finished..."

"Time to say goodbye, brats! AHHHH!"

"Not yet. I got an idea." Izzy said, standing in front of Felipe with his arms held out.

"What are you doing!" The one in Iggy's body demanded.

The other boy looked back. "It's simple. When he gets me, that'll be your chance to destroy the one thing responsible for this."

Felipe blinked. "You mean..."

"Yeah." Izzy nodded looking ahead. "It's gotta be that hat of his. It must be the key, right? So when he attacks me, that'll be your chance to end this."

"But you'll—!"

"Yeah, I know. Please do this. I..." The taller one lowered his head. "I don't want Iggy to get killed, ok? Just... Just do this for me. Please..."

Felipe gaped at him and gulped. He then nodded.

"Very well." He smirked. "I guess I had you figured out all wrong."

"Well? Are you ready, brats? Who wants to go first?" - said Lorenzo, mockingly

"Yeah, yeah. Just get ready... And tell Iggy good bye for me..." Izzy shut his eyes, ready to accept what's about to befall him.

Lorenzo prepared to thrust his sword and finish off Izzy. He took impulse, drew his arms up and prepared to deliver the blow to the boy's head when...

"BANZAAAAAAAAI!"

"Huh? what the...?" - said Lorenzo. He couldn't finish the sentence. Another fury attacked him.

Roderick had grabbed a rope hanging from one of the masts and, wiggling out of the hold of his friends who tried desperately to restrain him, he grabbed the rope and balanced to the lower deck, hitting Lorenzo's chest with his feet and causing him to fall back on deck... again.

"Ugh! Don't you ever get tired, ya munchkin?" - asked Lorenzo, trying to stand up again.

"Wha...?" Izzy opened his eyes and looked at the boy that just saved his life.

"What're you...?"

"I won't let you hurt them, Lorenzo! These are my friends!" - said Roderick, standing in an in-guard position. His expression was cold and steely, a sign that he was really angry. He wasn't carrying any weapons - and he wouldn't need them for a while.

"What you think you're doing, kid? I've defeated you once, and will do it again!"

'_Friends...? I don't even know this kid..._' Izzy thought. He shook his head and stood by Rod's side.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" He spat.

"No, you won't. I made a mistake last time; I still thought you were Lars, my friend. But Lars would never try to hurt or kill his brother."

"Heh. So be it. I can still defeat you, kids!"

Lorenzo prepared to attack. Izzy and Iggy were ready to continue fighting, but Roderick made them a sign to stop and stay behind. He had some... personal issues to settle with that ghost first.

"You sure about this, kid?" Izzy asked, falling back.

Lorenzo charged towards Rod, thinking he would defeat him easily, not seeing him carrying any weapons, but...

"KIAA!"

Roderick showed why he had been about to be promoted to black belt. He received Lorenzo with a high kick to his chest, causing him to lose his breathe. Then he made a quick jump and turned in the air, kicking Lorenzo's hand with his feet and causing him to lose his weapon. When he landed, he gave Lorenzo a series of quick punches to the stomach until the pirate, severely stunned, began to stumble backwards.

"Yeah, Rod! Keep it up!" Otto cheered.

"Ya got him on the ropes!" Twister supplied.

"I won't forget you for making Lars do all this evil, Lorenzo! I want you out of his body NOW! KAIA!"

Roderick continued punching Lorenzo with all his strength. It was impressive to see this small and seemingly frail kid doing all that harm to the much taller and stronger teen. Lorenzo was confused. He was now trying desperately to cover his body from the unending rain of kicks and punches the boy was giving him. Finally, when Lorenzo was against a bulkhead, Roderick made an uppercut and hit Lorenzo's chin. Everyone heard a small cracking noise and saw Lorenzo fall to his knees, apparently knocked out.

"Woah... He did it..." Reggie said amazed.

"No way..." Izzy blinked. "How'd that little kid do all that?"

"I hope this teaches you something, you big Sea Weenie!" -yelled Roderick, holding his left hand, with a hint of pain on his face. He was panting. He had hurt his hand with that last blow, and he had trouble moving his wrist.

"Rod! Are you alright!" The gang shouted, running over to him.

'_Damn!_' - he thought - '_ I missed that punch._'

"Oooww!... hey, what's he doing?"

Felipe looked and readied his sword. "I was afraid this would happen."

Izzy gave him a curious look. "What? What's going on?"

"Heh, heh, heh. So you want me out of this body, huh? Well, I'd say you really earned it. Besides, you rendered my host's body useless, so..." - said Lorenzo in a very somber, diabolical voice.

A small earthquake could be felt shaking the cave, while Lars' eyes turned bright red. Scott, Riley and the others saw the same effect on the rest of the lasers.

"Everybody get back!" Felipe shouted.

A very dark aura surrounded Lars and the Lasers, as some small rocks began to fall from the ceiling.

"W-w-w-w-w-woah!" Everyone else yelled, running from the rocks.

"What's he doing?" Izzy demanded to Felipe as they ran to one of the sturdier stalactites.

Everyone felt their hairs sticking up on their necks, when they saw Lars' and the Laser's bodies levitating some inches over the deck. Soon they could see something really unbelievable! As the teens fell heavily on the deck, four dark shadows could be seen exiting their bodies through their mouths. The four shadows flew in circles for some moments, close to the ceiling of the cave, forming a small tornado. Some otherworldly groans and screams could be heard, and then the four shadows merged in one large black cloud. A very bright light shone on the cave, temporarily blinding all. And when the light faded, the most terrible sight awaited for the kids. Standing on the middle of the deck was the most dreadful spirit they could ever imagine. A tall, four armed skeleton, with the same hat on his head, was laughing hysterically, while Lars and the Lasers laid unconscious on deck.

"What the? Impossible!" Sam yelled.

"How can he do that?" Izzy supplied.

"Congratulations, kids" - said the skeleton - "You succeeded on expelling me and my crew from our hosts. But I swear by Beelzebub, you won't get out from this cave! Even if it takes me an eternity, I'll make you pay for this. Particularly you—" He pointed at Iggy. "—you—" He pointed at Izzy. "—and above all, you!" He pointed at Roderick, who was again in his in-guard position.

"Meet my brother's true form." Felipe addressed everyone. He then glared at Izzy. "THIS was why I didn't want him to reach the treasure! Happy now!"

"Heh, heh... Oops...?" Izzy offered in a meek voice. He then shook his head.

"Hey wait! How is THAT his form? You were in the one in the mushroom, terrorizing me and my brother!"

"Later!" Otto yelled. "First we gotta figure out how to beat that thing!"

"I can't believe it." Sam said. "How could he transform into a living, breathing version of Cortez?"

"Ummmm... Cortez?" Twister asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Who's that, Sammy?" Reggie added.

"Yeah, I don't remember hearing about any giant skeletons in my family's books." Riley said.

"Meow!" Tesoro mewed.

"That's because he's never been mentioned in any history book." Izzy said, turning to the others. He then flicked a thumb at the monster. "He just transformed into Cortez, a boss from a pretty popular game."

"Guys... I think we have some other things to worry about right now!" - said Roderick, still holding his wrist in pain and nodding towards the skeleton.

"Yeah." Sam supplied, walking forward. "He's from this one game, Paper Mario. He's a pretty tough boss. What I can't figure out is how he knew about that. Considering he's a ghost, he couldn't possibly have known about that."

"Obviously, he was the first one to have that form. The makers of that game just somehow knew about him." Izzy turned to Felipe. "And just when were YOU planning on telling us he could do that!"

"Erm... oops?" - said Felipe, grinning and sweating nervously

"Why you—!" The brunet advanced on him. "I don't care if you are in Iggy's body! You're gone!"

"Quiet!" Scott yelled. "We have to think of a plan!"

"All right, guys, let's do something. Izzy, Felipe and I will attack this guy; the rest of you go rescue Lars and the others. We don't want them to be near him, in case he tries to re-enter their bodies, ok?" - said Rod, stepping in front of Izzy.

"But I don't have anything to fight with, kid." Izzy reminded.

"Here. Take my katana" - said Roderick, taking the blade from Sam's hands and giving it to Izzy.

"But... Rod..." - said Sam, noticing the pain in Rod's face - "You... are injured!"

"And what are you gonna use?" Reggie asked as Izzy inspected the sword.

"Yeah, bro! There's no way you can beat him bare handed!" Otto supplied.

"Don't worry about me. I still have my legs and my other hand. Trust me, I am more dangerous with them than with a blade."

"Well, if you think you can handle it unarmed..." Felipe started. "We have to think this through." He turned to the brunet. "Yes, you're correct. After I died, I followed my brother everywhere. Soon, he and his crew arrived on an island outside the continent you call 'South America.' There, Lorenzo met a witch doctor. He had the doctor cast a spell on his hat, which allowed him to remain on this plain even after he died. Knowing this, I possessed an explorer from England and made him write everything I knew about that hat and its powers, which included his ability to turn into that." He pointed at Lorenzo. "I suppose the people that made that game got their hands on the information and used it."

"Hmmmm... So then that means we can fight him pretty much the same way you would fight Cortez." Sam hypothesized.

"So we gotta fight like we were in a RPG? Have you lost it, Blondie!" Izzy demanded. "We couldn't survive long enough to make a dent in him!"

"You won't have to." Felipe spoke up. Everyone turned to him. He pointed at the taller of the two rivals. "Like you said earlier, the hat IS the source of his terrible power. Destroy the hat and you'll destroy Lorenzo."

"Uhhhhh... So if you knew this, why didn't you just possess someone in his crew and slice up the hat then?" Twister asked. Felipe glowered at him.

"Because I would've gotten caught! He never took that hat off for any reason whatsoever!"

"Fine. So now we know what we gotta do." Izzy said, crossing his arms. "Now how do we actually get the job done?"

"Leave that to me. I'll distract him and try to knock that hat off his head, so you can destroy it with the katana. Now, let's get going; guys, rescue Lars and the others. GO!"

Roderick didn't wait for an answer he advanced resolutely towards the ghost (much to the latter surprise)

"What the? Aren't you afraid of me, boy?" - asked Lorenzo, surprised

"Believe me, I've had to face some more terrible demons in my life, and I've defeated them. I'm not scared of you! And, believe it or not, I am willing to help you!"

While Roderick faced Lorenzo, Otto, Twister and the others moved discreetly and rescued Lars and the Lasers, who were still knocked out. When he saw they were safe, Roderick smiled.

"Help me? You must be kidding. Now prepare!"

Lorenzo attacked again, but Roderick was very agile. He jumped and dodged all of Lorenzo's strikes, waiting for the pirate to make a mistake.

After some minutes, Roderick saw his chance. He noticed Lorenzo exposing his side, and he gave a quick kick there, hitting him on the ribs.

"Ack!" - cried Lorenzo, stepping back, stunned.

"BE PREPARED, IZZY!" - cried Roderick as he jumped in the air, kicking the pirate's hat with his feet, knocking it off his head.

"NOOO! MY HAT!" - cried Lorenzo. He lunged forward, diving madly for the hat.

: PLAM! PLAM:

Two thunderous booms reverberated in the cavernous chamber, breaking several of the apparition's bones and causing even more to fall apart behind him. Even then, his hideous power began to pull himself together...

But it was too late.

: FWIFF:

Ancient wool and felt yielded at long last to razor sharp steel. The mortals present could swear that the hat had bled.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!" cried Lorenzo."

"Hah... I did it..." Izzy panted, the halves of the former hat lying at his feet. Having used up most of his energy, he kneeled on the cave floor. He looked up as Lorenzo gave a pain filled roar.

"NOOOOOO! Gyugggggggggarghhhhhhhh!" The monster screamed as black and purple beams of light shot out of him in many different places. Soon, his body melted into the evil aura. In several bright flashes, the spirits of Lorenzo and his crew materialized in front of the kids. They were kneeling in defeat, cursing those that caused them to lose their treasure.

"I swear..." The captain hissed. "I will get my revenge! Just you wait!"

"Yeah, yeah. That's what they all say." Otto retorted.

"BUST!" Everyone aside from Izzy and Felipe shouted.

"Why you... I won't stand for this!" Lorenzo sneered, standing up. "I'll—"

He was cut off by what sounded like a dozen or so voices echoing all around the cave. They were completely incoherent and squeaky, as if a million mice were all around them. That was when it happened. A great amount of shadows littered the walls and floor of the chamber. They were shaped like little devils you see in old cartoons. They approached the pirate crew, who was quivering, with an amazing speed. In almost no time, three of the strange spirits held each of the crew while the remaining ones formed dark puddles underneath each of them. The ghosts struggled desperately as they started to sink into the puddles.

"No! This can't be happening!" Lorenzo cried.

"What's happening to them?" Twister asked Felipe, who seemed to be smirking.

"They're being taken to Hades where they'll suffer for all eternity." He answered.

"FELIPE! I will not be imprisoned for long!" Lorenzo yelled. "When I get out of here, I'll have my revenge! Do you hear me? I'll have my—" He was cut off as his head sank beneath the puddle. As soon as the last pirate was gone, the portals disappeared. The group breathed a long awaited sigh of relief.

"It's over..." Felipe said with tears of joy. "It's finally over..."

To everyone's surprise, a blinding light engulfed him. The group covered their eyes as they struggled to see what was happening. The boy looked up at the ceiling as he felt a warmth he hasn't felt for over three hundred years. When the light finally faded, Felipe's ghost was floating before them as it had when they first entered the chamber. Iggy, having used up a great deal of energy, fainted immediately.

"Iggy!" Izzy ran over to the fallen boy and kneeled beside him, taking him into his arms.

"I want to thank you all, kids. You finally brought peace to Lorenzo's soul. And thanks to you, I'm finally free. I... I am allowed to meet with my parents again!"

"So it means you are leaving, Felipe?" - asked Sam.

"Yes. Thanks to you, my punishment has finally ended. But I want to give you something in exchange. You worked really hard for that treasure. Take it. It rightfully belongs to you all."

"I must leave now; I can't wait to finally see my mom and my dad again! I've been waiting for too long!"

"Please take care, my friends. And thanks a lot for all your help. You are a group of very good friends; please never let that friendship dissolve. That is one of the greatest blessings you can get" - said Felipe, as he slowly ascended to the roof of the cave and into a very bright light that had appeared there.

"Hey wait!" Izzy said. "Before you go, what _was_ the deal with your brother appearing in those visions?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I guess I still have some explaining to do."

"See, I must confess it was my fault that Lorenzo appeared in your dreams.

When I first saw you all, I thought you were the people I had been waiting for so long. But then I remembered of Lorenzo's menace to destroy whoever got in his way, and tried to warn you. Unfortunately he... interfered. He also entered your dreams, so, when I talked, the only thing you could see was him in that... dreadful costume. He must have thought that he would scare you that way and that you would not dare to go looking for the treasure and, well... to help me."

"That was before he found his hosts" - he continued - "But then he saw Lars and his friends, and he decided to take their bodies. And the rest you already know."

"Oh... So that's it, huh?" Izzy smirked. "Heh, there's no way some ghost was gonna stop me from getting rich!"

"Did Lorenzo try to kill me and Lou in the first cave?" Scott asked.

"Yes, Scott. I'm sorry about that. I... tried to warn you, but Lou was the only one who heard me. Unfortunately he was moved by his curiosity and ventured even more into the cave. I'm sorry about that."

"But now, thanks to you this nightmare is over. And even though Lorenzo never repented for his sins, he will also get some peace now. At least he won't be trapped in this plain."

"Well, I'm glad we could help you, Felipe" - said Rodereick, holding his left wrist

"Ditto" - said the rest of the kids - "It was a very interesting experience"

"Thank you, thank you so much, kids! You really..."

Felipe was interrupted by a rumble and a big noise. All the kids saw in horror how the entrances to the cave collapsed and blocked all the escape routes. The earthquake caused by Lorenzo's transformation must have damaged the cave and it was now about to collapse.

"We're doomed!" - cried Sam in fear

"Felipe, can you help us? Is there another way to leave this cave?" - asked Otto, with a certain fear in his voice

"Hum... yeah. There's another exit. Through that tunnel" - answered Felipe, pointing to a dark tunnel north of the ship, blocked by several sturdy trunks forming a palisade

"That is by far the shortest route, and at this time it leads to a cave above sea level. But it is heavily armored. You will need a lot of time to open the tunnel, unless... you take the chance to blow the obstacles using the deck cannons in the ship.

Felipe looked up, and noticed the portal closing

"I really must go now, or I will get trapped in this plain forever. Take care, my friends! I'll be guarding you and watching over you!"

"Thank you, Felipe! Good luck!" - said the kids to Felipe as he entered the portal and dissolved in the light, a sheer feeling of peace finally greeted the pirate boy.

When he entered the light, it disappeared, leaving the kids alone in the cave.

"Well, I think we better start dismantling those traps" - said Reggie, pointing to the tunnel - "I'm sure there must be a way to get out of here without the need for those cannons..."

As soon as she said this, another earthquake could be felt, and some big rocks fell from the roof. It was evident that the cave had been damaged a lot more than they thought, and they needed to act very quickly!


End file.
